


Spartaca

by WarriorOfTheLight



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Dark, Eventual Smut, F/F, Gladiator AU, Gladiators, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-03-15 14:03:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 84,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3449822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarriorOfTheLight/pseuds/WarriorOfTheLight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura needs extra credit to pull her back from her near-fail lit result and taking Gladiatorial studies will not only give her this but advertises payment as well. It sounds too good to be true and too late for Laura she finds out that it is. But knowing how the others see her as someone who needs to be protected, Laura wants to figure this out on her own. But the questions is, can she do it before her super strong vampire girlfriend finds out, or before the arena kills her.<br/>Tumblr: warrioroftheice</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lesson Number One: Always Hit Back

Laura looked up at the crumbling gymnasium. Surely this couldn’t be the place, it looked deserted and decaying and not at all like the place where students should be taking classes. But then again, this was Silas and this extra class advertised to be the exact thing she was looking for. 

Laura’s grade was resting comfortably on a C after the whole Laphilformes fiasco and whilst she was mildly aware that it wasn’t the worst grade to have, she never dropped below an A. actually, it had been Carmilla who had suggested the extra module for extra credit thing; not surprising that she knew her way around the scholastic system, after all she had been enrolled at Silas for the last sixty years. 

And so Laura had painstakingly gone through all the classes she could take ranging from the downright weird (seriously who studies Enchanted Mycology) to the deathly boring. And then Laura had come across Gladiatorial Studies. Labelled as a Classics class and with the additional promise of payment, it seemed perfect to Laura. After all she had studied gladiators at school. Surely it wouldn’t be, nay couldn’t be, that hard? Right?

Carmilla had scoffed at the choice of class, claiming that she had never held much interest in the classical world. It hadn’t stopped her from kissing Laura goodbye and wishing her a good day.

With the warm thought still coursing through her mind, Laura steeled herself and pushed open the doors.  
…  
Laura should have known that something was up when the teacher came in. She was a petite woman with long light brown hair, braided down to her lower back. What Laura thought was odd, however, was her attire. Most teachers at Silas wore suits or at least some form of smart clothing, but this woman wore a black tank top and black yoga pants. Laura briefly wondered if this woman had come from a gym session but she seemed calm and collected, almost like the Dean had been. Laura shook the thought away. This lady seemed nice, a fellow short person. But Laura still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about her. She wouldn’t realise until later that it was the cold calculating gaze that didn’t miss a thing.

“Silence.” She didn’t raise her voice but the room fell silent anyway. Laura immediately knew that her first impression of this woman had been wrong. “Welcome to Gladiatorial studies, I am your Domina and you shall address me as such. Here you shall be pushed to your limits and only those capable enough shall pass this semester. At all. However, in order to see who is accomplished enough to continue this course, you shall begin today. But if you find that this course is not to your liking, you may leave, but should you tell anyone of this class then your time at Silas shall come to an end.” she fixed every single student with a hard glare and Laura gulped. This wasn’t what she had originally thought. It almost sounded like she would have to fight. But that would be stupid right? Even for Silas.

Domina turned to an old fashioned bingo machine behind her that Laura hadn’t noticed before. She slowly turned the handle and the sound of clattering balls filled the auditorium. Finally, after what felt like an hour, Domina stopped turning that handle and pulled two balls out.

“Evans and Brooks. Up. I want the two of you to step forward and face each other. Now I want the two of you to hit one another until one of you can’t stand anymore.” 

Laura wasn’t the only student with a horrified expression as she watched as a thickset Asian girl warily stood from her seat and walked to the middle. She was followed by a gangly ginger boy who seemed very unsure at the whole situation. Laura was in half a mind to text Carmilla asking her to help her, but then the boy, Brooks was it? spoke up.

“I’m not fighting her. She’s a girl. I’m not going to hit a girl-“ the sound of a harsh crack split the air and stopped the boy mid-sentence. Immediately his hands went to his cheek and he cried out.

Domina stood between the two, whip in her hand. “You are not fit for this class. Leave immediately.”

Brooks hurried to grab his bag and rushed from the room. Domina turned back to the class, rolling the whip between her slender hands. “You will do as I say. Do not disobey me or you will leave with more than a simple cut on the cheek. Now,” she reached into the cage and pulled another ball out “Hollis. You will fight Evans.”

Laura’s blood ran cold. Her, fight? Sure she could, but she never thought it would be like this? What had she gotten herself into?

Laura stood shakily and walked down to the centre of the auditorium and stood opposite the other girl. Up close she didn’t look friendly. There was a scowl set on her face, furrowing her eyebrows and pulling her lips down. Domina stood back, signalling both girls to start.

Laura was frozen. Sure she had a lot of training in Krav Maga and self-defence but she had never been against someone who genuinely wanted to hurt her. It was this hesitation that was her downfall.

Evans lashed out with her right leg, connecting straight with Laura’s ribs. The mild shift in one of her ribs caused Laura to snap out of her hesitation. Evans smashed out with her left hand, but Laura was ready, catching the momentum from the punch and propelling Evans forward and using that momentum to trip her up. 

Instantly Evans was back on her feet, a snarl drawing her lips back and baring her teeth. Muscle memory kicked in and Laura noticed the twitch of Evans’ bicep, allowing her to block the punch, and yet, Laura didn’t want to deliver a hit of her own. 

What was this proving anyway? Surely this was some experimental procedure to get an idea of what the gladiators would have experienced. And yet, as Laura ducked under a kick aimed at her head, she realised that this might not be the case. Laura glanced at Domina and saw her standing watching Evans and herself with a critical eye. Brief though her look was, it opened up a chance for Evans to lash out with a strong right hook, catching Laura in the neck and sending her to her knees, gasping. 

From the corner of her eye she could see Evans winding up to deliver a final blow and Laura rolled towards the other girl, grabbing her by her ankle and pulling her feet out from under her, ignoring the blossoming pain in her side. 

Not wanting this fight to go on any longer, the blonde pushed herself on top of Evans, straddling her and preventing her from moving any more. Feeling the girl struggling beneath her, Laura looked to Domina just as she released the whip to wrap around Laura’s neck. With a sharp jerk of her arm, Laura went flying backwards from Evans, cutting off her air supply. 

“As you can see, some of you are more skilled in the art of fighting, but it is important to hit back. Hollis. You didn’t hit back. There were twenty-three opportunities for you to hit Evans and you didn’t. Evans, sit back with the others. Hollis, it appears you need to learn how to hit something.” 

The whip unwound from Laura’s neck with a flick of Domina’s wrist, letting her gasp air back into her lungs. She wasn’t aware of the grating sound until Domina stood over her, grabbing Laura by her bicep and hauling her up.

“You may think you’re very clever by not hitting back but you won’t live long if you can’t land a blow. Now, hit this. Hit it until I tell you to stop.” 

Laura looked to see a concrete post before her. God what Carmilla would do to this woman if she found out about this? A thought crossed Laura’s mind; how everyone wanted to protect her. She didn’t need it. She could look after herself. She could deal with this by herself. 

Not wanting to risk the wrath of Domina’s whip anymore, Laura drew her fist back and lashed out.  
…  
Laura flopped onto her bed, absolutely exhausted. This class was a day long and with the emotional and physical strain that was put upon her had drained her. But she felt alive. She felt independent. 

She loved her friends. She loved Carmilla. But doing something without them made her feel independent and doing something like this class made her feel empowered; something she hadn’t felt since her mother died. 

Groaning, Laura pushed herself up from her bed and dragged herself to her computer, switching on the webcam. Seeing herself in the small screen in the corner, Laura wondered how long she would be able to keep this hidden. Did she want to keep it hidden though? Did she want protection from Carmilla and Danny? Laura groaned, letting her head fall into her hands, immediately flinching when her hand twinged.

Sighing, Laura pushed herself up from her desk and grabbed her toiletries and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Usually she and Carmilla showered with the door unlocked, but Laura didn’t want Carmilla to walk in and see the state she was in.

Turning the shower on, the blonde carefully peeled her top off, wincing at the bruising feeling in her ribs. Looking in the mirror, Laura could see the near black bruise forming on her side. Her breathing hurt, but she had broken her ribs before and the pain was nothing like that. Probably just bruised instead. She could see the marks where the whip had curled around her neck, but they were faint, especially when compared to the bruise on her ribs. Sighing Laura finally looked down at her hand.

And winced. The skin from her knuckles was almost completely gone and any skin left was black with bruising. That would be slightly harder to hide than the ribs. Carmilla was old fashioned and for the first time, Laura was kind of thankful for that. 

Stepping into the shower, Laura hissed as the water ran over the cuts and bruises and the sensation of hot water running over her hand made her breath come in short quick gasps and made tears spring to her eyes. If this was the first lesson, then what was she going to look like at the end of the semester? If she made it that far… the thought sprung to her mind before she could stop it. But not without good reason. She remembered the ginger boy who had refused to fight and been kicked out. He was probably the lucky one. Along with those who had not been able to prove themselves in the auditorium. There hadn’t been that many who had been told to leave, but Laura seemed to have been made an example of as everyone desperately tried to land a hit on their opponent so as not to face the cement block. 

Laura hadn’t realised how long she had been in the shower until she heard someone knocking on the bathroom door.

“Cupcake?”

“Yeah just a second.” Laura called back. She really couldn’t have Carmilla seeing her like this. 

Switching the water off, Laura dried and threw on a pair of sweatpants and a baggy hoodie. That should cover it enough. And the sleeves were long enough to cover her hands too. Sighing Laura ran a hand through her hair before unlocking the door and walking out of the bathroom.

Carmilla was lounging on her bed, half paying attention to the book she was reading. Behind her, Laura’s yellow pillow was propped. The darker haired girl looked up as her girlfriend entered, noting immediately how tired Laura looked. Placing the book down, Carmilla stood and approached Laura before the other girl had made it five steps from the bathroom. Taking Laura’s face in her hands, she pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

“How are you, Creampuff?”

Laura wrapped her arms around Carmilla, nuzzling into her shoulder. “Tired.” She mumbled. Carmilla frowned. Laura was usually such a ball of energy, even when she was tired. But now Carmilla was basically holding Laura up.

“Do you want anything? Cookie? Cocoa?” 

Still holding Carmilla Laura shook her head no. Carmilla decided to ask Laura about it after some sleep, but that did nothing to quell the worry within her. Still, she gently picked her girlfriend up bridal style and placed her on her bed, tucking the yellow pillow behind her head. She placed a kiss to her forehead and spoke softly.

“Sleep well Laura.”

But Laura was already out to the count.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is my first Carmilla fanfic and this idea has been floating around my head for ages. Also I think Laura's capability is seriously underplayed and under appreciated. I hope to continue this though.


	2. Lesson Number Two: Tell No One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura deals with the consequences of not telling anyone about Gladiatorial Studies.

Laura woke to the slam of the dorm room door, her heart racing as her mind went back to the crack of Domina’s whip. She was out of her bed in an instant, looking around for the small, dangerous woman. Instead of meeting the cold glare that had haunted her dreams, her eyes met the concerned, warm, dark pools of Carmilla’s. 

Carmilla wasn’t an idiot. She knew that something was wrong with Laura. She had been exhausted last night to an extent she had never seen before and now she was jumpier than she had been when they went against the Dean. 

“Laura?” Carmilla’s familiar voice seemed to break through Laura’s stupor and she relaxed slightly.

“Hey Carm. You scared me.” She laughed, hoping that her girlfriend wouldn’t question her further. 

She had no such luck.

“You’re jumpy today, Cupcake.” She handed a paper bag to Laura who looked at her curiously. “I got you those cinnamon rolls that you like so much. You know the ones doused in sugar.” Her nose wrinkled slightly at just how sugary the pastries were. Laura didn’t mind though. It was a sweet gesture, literally, and she moved over to Carmilla, kissing her lightly on the lips, smiling at her girlfriend’s reaction. Just as Carmilla moved to deepen the kiss, Laura’s stomach rumbled loudly causing the blonde to giggle. Carmilla smirked at her tiny girlfriend and pecked her on the lips before sprawling out on her bed.

Carmilla watched as Laura sat stiffly on her own bed, taking a humongous bite out of one of the cinnamon rolls. She still couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something wrong with Laura.

“So,” she started, trying to be casual as to not scare Laura away, “why so jumpy this morning?”

Laura hesitated mid bit and quickly contemplated what to tell Carmilla. She really didn’t want to lie to her girlfriend but at the same time, if yesterday proved anything, it was that she was perfectly capable to looking after herself. 

“I had a nightmare. Uh, the one where you never came back.” Low blow, Hollis, low blow. She thought bitterly to herself. She couldn’t even look Carmilla in the eye after that lie. God maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. Hell, this had never been a good idea. Fighting for survival? What part of that was a good idea?

Carmilla took Laura’s quietness and inability to look at her a completely different way and stood from her bed, crossing to Laura in a single step and kneeling down before her. 

“Laura, I’m right here. I will always be here. I promise I won’t ever hurt you again.” She took Laura’s free hand, her bad hand, in her own, causing the blonde to flinch violently at the sudden pain. Carmilla released Laura’s hand instantly, as if it had burned her. Looking down she saw the mess that was her girlfriend’s hand. “Oh my god, Laura. What happened? Who did this to you?” 

Laura saw a hard glint come to Carmilla’s eyes and knew that the protective vampire was about to rear its head. She had to diffuse this situation fast.

She forced a laugh, a surprisingly good one all things considered. “Carm, calm down. I tripped on my laces yesterday and went head first into a tree. Who knew bark was that rough?” 

Carmilla looked at Laura for a long while, causing Laura to want to shift under the intense gaze. Finally Carmilla let out a long sigh.

“What am I going to do with you, Sweetheart?”

The guilt that washed through Laura was overwhelming. She realised that she had actually wanted Carmilla to not believe her and force her to tell her the truth. But apparently Carmilla trusted her word. Laura didn’t deserve that trust at all. 

“Well you seem to be doing pretty well by buying me breakfast.” She smiled softly at Carmilla. The brunette chuckled at her girlfriend before standing and getting the first aid kit from the bathroom. By the time she returned to Laura, the blonde was on the second cinnamon roll. There was still that little wrinkle between her eyebrows that was only there when Laura was really worried about something. Laura thought she was hiding her secrets well but Carmilla knew her too well and had sharper eyes than Laura would ever realise. But she wouldn’t push her girlfriend for answers. Laura would come to her when she felt ready.

Carmilla sat on the bed beside the blonde and gently took her hand in her own. Carmilla frowned as she looked at the mess of a hand. The skin up to her second knuckle on all of her fingers had been almost completely scraped off, leaving nothing but scabbing and bruised flesh. A tree did this? Carmilla was in half a mind to find that tree and rip it up by the roots. How dare something hurt Laura like this. Her Laura as well. 

Before Carmilla had a chance to treat Laura’s hand, the small blonde had leant over and grabbed an antiseptic wipe. No point prolonging it right? Carmilla hadn’t even realised how long she had been staring at Laura’s hand.

But there was another reason that Laura had grabbed the wipe. She knew that it would sting and Carmilla had just promised to never hurt her, so it seemed like a good idea to help her out a little. 

“Laura, you know I can do that for you, right? After all I do have a medical degree.” 

“I know, I know. It’s just-”

The door banged open, causing Laura to jump violently. LaFontaine and Perry walked in, deep in discussion about some scientific experiment or another. Carmilla glared at them. When would these dimwits ever learn to knock? 

LaFontaine noticed Carmilla’s particularly harsh glare and gave her a questioning look. Perry, on the other hand, looked to Laura and saw her hand.

She went full on mother-bear mode instantly.

“Laura what happened to your hand? Who did this to you? No no give me that,” she took the antiseptic wipe out of Laura’s hands, the blonde too stunned by the sudden entry and her own fear at the loud noise to stop her. 

She opened the wipe and set about to treating Laura’s hand.

LaFontaine gave Laura a hard look.

“Explain.” They demanded.

Laura sighed and looked briefly at Carmilla. Her girlfriend’s eyebrows were furrowed in annoyance but Laura could see the concern in her eyes. It was exactly as she had thought. Everybody wanted to protect her. They didn’t think she could look after herself, even if it was only a “tree” that hurt her.

“I fell into a tree when I tripped on my laces yesterday. Nothing exciting.” The words seemed thick in her mouth and seemed to catch in her throat. 

LaFontaine threw their head back and laughed. “Good one L.” Their laughter subdued a little at Carmilla’s glare. Everybody sobered up when Laura hissed when Perry wiped across a particularly sensitive area. 

Perry humphed quietly. “You should really take better care of yourself Laura. Not that you aren’t looking after yourself at the moment.” she added quickly after a low growl from the vampire beside her.

“I can look after myself.” Laura snapped. This was what annoyed her. They didn’t think she look after herself. The silence that followed Laura’s outburst was a tense one. None of them had expected the usually bright girl to snap at them like that. In fact, this unusual behaviour caused Carmilla to worry even more about Laura. 

Laura still felt tense and really considered doing some yoga to relax. Well, that was until she looked at the time. She had an hour until her lit class. She abruptly stood, wincing at the pulling motion in her ribs. God, she had Gladiatorial Studies today as well. She sighed, moving over to the wardrobe. According to Domina, she had that class every day, including weekends. She hadn’t realised beforehand that it was such a dedication. 

She grabbed her usual button up blue shirt before thinking about the fact that she wouldn’t be able to move freely in it later. She put it back and opted for a black tank top instead with her high waisted jeans. It was slightly better and less conspicuous than if she went dressed in all gym clothes. She went into the washroom to change and left the others to themselves, fully aware that they would probably be talking about her.

Once dressed, Laura looked at herself in the mirror. The whip marks on her neck were still visible and there was a hint of a bruise from where Evans had kicked her in the neck. Luckily the tank top covered the bruise on her ribs. 

Laura quickly applied cover-up to her neck in the hope that it would stop questions and further implication that she wasn’t capable of looking after herself.

The thought caused the anger she felt to rise again. If she could hold onto it until Gladiatorial Studies then she could release her frustrations there. God what was happening if she was actually looking forward to that class?

She exited the washroom and grabbed her bag and a zip up hoodie before muttering about getting to class. She didn’t, however, miss Carmilla’s worried expression and LaFontaine and Perry’s bemused ones. She put it to the back of her mind. She’d apologise later when she came back from classes.

If she came back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more angsty than I originally intended but I promise it's not all doom and gloom. Hopefully I will update as soon as possible.  
> If you're interested, I've got a tumblr account too: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/warrioroftheice


	3. Lesson Number Three: Never Drop Your Weapon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Training continues and the gang start to worry.

The sword felt foreign and heavy in Laura’s hand as she brought it down in another timed stroke. Domina had set the remaining students to work in formation, practising the sword strokes, allowing them to get used to the feeling of the weapon in their hand.

"Your sword is an extension of your arm. If you cannot wield it, you will die. And nobody mourns the petty and weak."

The harsh crack of Domina's whip would sound as she struck people into the correct stance. Most feared the whip and kept their form, such as Laura. There was a sick side of her that enjoyed how she excelled in this class; in the physical aspect she could just about keep up with the regime, and her previous experience had made her ruthless, something that was only just beginning to show.

As she brought the sword down in a great arc over her left shoulder, Laura couldn't help her mind wandering to her lit class before. Clearly the others had messaged Danny in advance as the tall redhead was keeping a very close watch on the blonde. Closer than usual. In fact, what had alerted Laura to Danny being in the know was when the redhead's eyes flicked down to her hand before she had even said hi. And there had been that same concern in her clear blue eyes that had shone in everyone else's. Their worry that Laura was in trouble. That little Laura couldn't get herself out of a mess. That little Laura needed to be rescued. Poor, puny Laura.

Another flash of anger surged through her body and she clenched her teeth as she brought her sword down harder than she intended to, causing her to be out of time with the rest of the class. Instantly, the blonde rightened herself, but Domina was faster and the whip curled around Laura's wrist, sending a small wave of pain through her arm. The pressure on the whip caused Laura to stumble backwards until she was facing Domina. she hadn't let go of the sword.

"You should learn to keep your anger for your opponent. Do not fall out of time with the others," with a twitch of her hand the whip unraveled from Laura's wrist and in an instant was wrapped around another student's wrist causing him to drop his weapon, "and _never_ drop your weapon." Domina drew back her arm and sent the leather cracking across the boy's back. Everyone had learnt the first day not to cry out in pain.

Laura bowed her head and moved back to her position, all to aware of the boy struggling to his feet beside her, sword clenched so hard in his shaking hand that his knuckles stood out white against his skin. It was because of Laura that he had got hurt. She had to be more careful.

*

An hour had passed of the repetitive motion of using the sword and Laura felt like she would be able to repeat it in her sleep. Clearly it had been Domina's wish to ingrain the movement into muscle memory, and judging by the way that Laura's muscles, particularly her shoulders, ached, she was well aware of that. 

A sharp crack of the whip followed by Domina's even sharper voice caused everyone to stop.

"Enough. Drink and then you shall begin to accustom your body to strikes. You shall not be receiving them today, thank your lucky stars, but rather giving them. Most of you are weak with a weapon and will feel the pain of the sword upon your hand. If you do not overcome this, death is inevitable, and no one mourns the weak." 

Laura could see that Domina enjoyed giving this line. A slight cruel smile played on her lips as she surveyed the students with superiority. Clearly she believed that she was not weak and therefore would be mourned should she die. 

Everyone seemed grateful for the opportunity to drink; working out like this was surprisingly difficult, but the break wasn't for long. Long thick wooden blocks were wheeled in and Domina informed everyone that they needed to take their own to work with. Whilst Laura's strength was deceptive, she still struggled with the block, carrying it to the assigned area with shaky footsteps. As she gently put it down, Domina's voice carried through the gymnasium.

"I want everybody to keep their blocks on their shoulders for as long as possible. This is a test of strength and endurance and you shall do it everyday."

Laura didn't dare groan as she hoisted the block back up onto her shoulders, fearful of Domina's whip. She looked around as much as she could to see how everyone else was faring as she felt like her shoulders were on fire and her spine was slowly being crushed. It appeared that everyone else seemed to be struggling as well as some of the "weaker" students dropped their blocks, earning a disapproving glare from Domina, but no physical punishment... for once. 

In fact, Laura was in the last five to keep it on her shoulders before she too had to relieve herself of the weight, stumbling as the block crashed to the floor. It is an odd experience, carrying a burden for a period of time before ridding yourself of it and feeling weightless. But Laura didn't care. She sat heavily on her block and looked to see who was remaining. By now there were only three left: the girl she fought yesterday, a hench blond guy in a Zeta tshirt and a skinny brunette guy who was apparently stronger than he looked. 

It didn't take long for the rest to give in to the weight and Domina set everyone to the same sword routine, but hitting the wood instead. Laura could see why Domina was making everyone do this. Every time her sword made contact with the wood, painful reverberations would carry up her arm, loosening her grip on the weapon. After a while the hilt was slipping in her hand, drenched with sweat, or so she thought. As Laura looked down, she saw blood coating her hand and hilt.

_Great, more blood_. She thought spitefully. No doubt blisters had destroyed her hand further. 

There were grunts of exertion surrounding her and no doubt she was contributing herself. The pain was only bearable by the fact that her arm had gone numb from hitting the block so hard and so repetitively. Laura was beginning to wonder how much more time there was of class when a crack from the whip signaled everyone to stop and finish. As she looked around, the blonde saw many bloody hands but what troubled her the most was the expression on every single face there. No one wanted to give away how much pain they were in and so every face was carefully guarded from expression. All eyes held a deadness to them that would have chilled Laura, but she couldn't find it within herself to care at the moment. She was so tired and all she wanted to do was go back to her dorm and sleep.

"Tomorrow. Do not be late." Domina turned on her heel and exited the building, not looking back or giving instruction to clear up. So no one did. If Domina wanted something done then she would command it so. 

Laura grabbed her backpack and left, nursing her new injuries.

*

Part of Carmilla was glad when the ginger squad agreed that something was up with Laura. It made her feel less crazy and controlling. But at the same time, are more importantly, there was something wrong with Laura. Carmilla would never normally hang out with these people willingly without her tiny blonde girlfriend, but they had to talk.

"I just don't understand why she isn't saying anything." Danny was saying. "If there was something bothering Laura then the whole world would know about it."

"The whole world! That's brilliant Danny!" Laf cried as they leapt towards the computer, eagerly hacking in.

"Hey, that's Laura's private-" Carmilla began, feeling protective over Laura's possessions in her absence.

"But she might have filmed something telling what was wrong" Laf said, interrupting Carmilla, not taking their eyes from the screen. "Aha. Here's something small dated from yesterday."

Everyone crowded round the screen to watch as Laf clicked play. Laura's face popped into view and instantly they could see how tired she was. Her skin was pale and her eyes were bloodshot. They saw her mangled hand and she brought it up to her throat, checking the bruising that no one had noticed. Carmilla and Danny in particular noticed the way that Laura favoured her left side. Then the video ended. 

Carmilla had always ridiculed Laura for using her laptop camera as a mirror but right now she was grateful that Laura always brushed her off on the subject as it revealed the extent of Laura's injuries. 

"What could have possibly happened to her?" Perry asked in a hushed voice.

"Like I said, I tripped into the tree." 

Everyone jumped and spun to see Laura standing in the doorway, looking very different. Carmilla realised it was because she was guarding her expression. Laura was always an open book and seeing her like this was uncomfortable and chilling, to say the least. 

"I'm sorry Cupcake. We were worried-" Carmilla stood up and moved towards Laura. And stopped when Laura's back straightened in caution. 

Carmilla frowned and tried not to be hurt when Laura seemed to realise what she was doing and slumped against the door frame, suddenly looking more tired than before, if that had been possible. 

"You know you can talk to us about anything right?" Carmilla said quietly, suddenly wishing more that usual that the others would just leave.

Laura's shoulders sagged as she let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry guys. It's just trying to get my grade back up and juggling all these classes, not to mention my dad doesn't know my current grade. And the new journalism project is stressing me out, even though I don't know what it is yet because how am I meant to beat the Dean story and-"

"Cupcake!" Never had the 334 year old vampire been more grateful to hear Laura's rambling. "It's alright. it's ok to be stressed. Just, just don't push us away. Don't push me away." she finished quietly. 

Laura tilted her head as if confused that she hadn't realised that she was pushing her friends away. "I'm sorry Carm. I didn't realise. All of you, I was so lost in my own head..."

"Don't worry about it, L. Happens to the best of us." Laf said, smiling.

Laura smiled, walking into Carmilla's arms. She had to admit that she missed this. "Thanks guys. Hey, why don't we go grab something to eat. I'm starving." she moaned, causing everyone to laugh. 

They were all glad that Laura seemed to be back to normal.

Nobody noticed her clenching her hand.


	4. Lesson Number Four: Family Matters

As days turned into weeks, Laura found it easier to balance out her “normal” life and her gladiator life. Surprisingly, she found that she was able to stay on top of her work. Sure Glad. Studies took up a lot of time, but once Laura became accustomed to her new regime then she could work her social life around it, all the whilst being careful to avoid suspicion for any injuries sustained. And, after walking in on the others on her laptop, Laura changed her password on everything, just in case the others decided to have a little nosey through her things again.

In fact, Laura found herself enjoying the class. She excelled and was amongst the top three students. As the days passed, her hands became calloused, her reactions quick, her stance perfect. Domina never faulted her. Her hands became accustomed to the use of weapons and her arms grew used to absorbing the shocks of heavy hits.

Honestly, Laura saw it very much as a Gym Class more than anything. Domina was harsh because she surely wanted to help everyone succeed. And Laura surprisingly made friends. Being one of the top of the class meant that people respected her. Well, most people. There were another two students who were Evans and a boy called Hawke.

And then there was Laura’s journalism project. Somehow, despite the Dean being absent now, the odd going-ons at Silas continued. And Laura’s journalism project was a perfect example of that. The title of this semester was ‘ _Place Yourself in a Dangerous Situation_ ’, which Laura found hideously ironic. But of course, Lesson Number Two: Tell No One. So Laura found herself trying to find a way to put herself in danger, much to her own chagrin.

It was during yet another mushroom invasion that Laura found herself separated from the rest of the group by a bunch of seven foot toadstools. Somewhere in the distance, Laura could hear Danny shouting her name, followed by Carmilla’s frantic sounding calls. But there was no way to get to them. So Laura did what now came instinctively to her; she fought back.

Rather conveniently, Laura was backed against the arts and design building and she dashed inside and grabbed the first thing that she saw with a blade. The machete (who knows why it was there – but Laura wasn’t complaining) felt different in her hand compared to the _gladius_ she was now accustomed to, but it didn’t stop her. The small blonde ran back outside and immediately ducked as the dome of one of the toad stools smashed into the ground where she had just been standing.

Lesson Number One rang through Laura’s mind and without a thought she brought the machete up and straight through the point of consciousness of the sentient mushroom causing it to shrill before crashing down. Laura, not knowing why that single hit had caused such an effect, leapt back into action.

Using the downed mushroom as a stepping stone, she vaulted over the remaining mushrooms and came face to face with Evans. A single look told Laura all she needed to know as she brought her body to the ground and slid through Evans’ legs, allowing for the other girl to spear the chasing mushroom in the vital spot. Laura, not stopping spun into a standing position and, with all her strength, brought the machete straight through the mushroom, effectively cutting it in half.

“Nice work, Hollis,” Evans smirked. Laura chuckled as Carmilla and Danny were walking towards her, both with furious expressions on their faces. But before either of them could reach her, the mushroom that she had cut in two reattached itself and launched itself at the vampire and the redhead.

Carmilla bared her fangs as Danny raised the softball bat that she was holding, both ready to beat the stupid vegetable into the ground but it stopped. The two watched cautiously as the mushroom swayed before toppling over with a machete sticking out of it.

Evans raised an eyebrow, impressed at the accuracy of the hit. She snorted and punched Laura in the shoulder before sauntering off.

“Laura Hollis!” sure she could face benevolent mushrooms without a shred of fear but an angry Carmilla was something to think twice about. “What the f-“ she let out a heavy breath to steady herself, “frilly hell was that? You could have been hurt!”

_No surprises there_.

She knew that arguing wouldn’t help anyone. She knew her girlfriend well enough that this was a façade in front of Danny to cover her true worry. Laura could see those sharp eyes raking over her body, checking for any injuries.

“Heh, guess they weren’t really fun guys.” She laughed, showing Carmilla that she was unhurt. They had a system between them. Carmilla was not a fan of public displays of affection, so Laura helped her by saying silly little comments to show that she was fine. It was an unspoken thing between them that Carmilla loved Laura even more for.

The brunette smiled fully at Laura before moving to wrap an arm around her. “You had me worried for a second Cupcake.” She mumbled in Laura’s ear.

“Who was that girl?” Danny spoke up, feeling thoroughly awkward at the two.

Something flashed across Laura’s face so quickly that Danny thought she must have been imaging things. “Oh, some girl from my Glad. Studies class.” Odd, the way that sounded so dismissive, it sounded like Laura didn’t want to talk about it.

“Some girl?” Carmilla asked with a raised eyebrow. “I hope there’s no reason for me to be worried…”

Laura laughed before placing a gentle kiss on Carmilla’s cheek. “When have I ever given you reason to worry about me? Okay don’t answer that but no, Carm. No need to worry.”

“Nice acrobatics L.” LaFontaine said as they and Perry approached from behind. Laura turned to them with a blank expression on her face as to not give anything away. A calculating expression passed through Laf’s face before they replaced it with a smile. “Planning on joining the circus anytime soon?”

Carmilla snorted. “Like this place isn’t a circus enough.”

Laura forced a smile onto her face but it didn’t reach her eyes. Honestly she was a little worried with how Laf looked at her. It was like they _knew_. Turning from them, Laura saw something that made her heart plummet, leaving her feeling cold all over.

Domina stood in the shadows of the arts and design building watching her with her cold calculating gaze. Upon seeing Laura notice her she seemed to melt into the shadows. She had been watching Laura. Why had she been doing that? Was that part of the test that was coming up? Had she seen her and Evans working together? Would she be punished?

So lost was she in her own panicked thoughts, Laura completely missed the others conversation until Carmilla had to shake her to get her attention. The brunette was worried about Laura. Recently the blonde would go into long daydreams but this was different. Laura looked scared. And she hadn’t stopped staring at the arts and design building.

“Laura? Laura what’s wrong?” she gently shook Laura by the shoulders trying to get her attention even more. Laura turned to her but there was no recognition in her eyes. She was reacting to Carmilla but her mind was still somewhere else.

Carmilla was panicking. She didn’t know what to do. Just as Carmilla was about to shake Laura more roughly when the shorter blonde girl blinked and recognition filled her features.

“Carm…”

Yes, Carmilla was a centuries old badass vampire, but being that old made you appreciate everything more. And Laura was Carmilla’s everything. So everyone else was marginally surprised when the vampire wrapped her arms around the shorter girl and held her close, just feeling the warmth and her heartbeat against her.

“Thank the gods Laura. I thought that you’d been turned into one of those mushroom zombies.” She let out a shaky chuckle, trying to cover her growing embarrassment at the public display of affection.

“No, just off in my own world. Although these attacks are becoming less spore-adic.”

“I know. We need to find out-“ Carmilla narrowed her eyes at the blonde. “Did you just?”

Laura laughed before leaning over to the vampire and planting a kiss on her cheek. “I have plenty more mushroom puns.”

Carmilla smiled and rolled her eyes. “Oh joy. And I’m the lucky one who gets to share a room with you.”

Laura laughed before linking her arms and heading over to deal with the rest of the mushrooms, glad to have changed the subject away from her.

*

“Hollis. Gladii. Evans. Trident.”

Laura walked to the weapons stand and pulled two gladii out. She had never fought with one in her weaker hand; she reserved that for her shield which she was now doubting that she was going to ever get.

Domina had set a sand circle out for the test. Laura at one end and Evans at the other. She could see that her opponent was unused to the trident, having often used a spear, but Laura knew that she was against a formidable opponent so she refused to let her guard down although on-the-spot adapting to two gladii was unexpected.

“This test is to see whether or not you are worthy to be welcomed to the Family. Should you fail the consequences shall be dire. Begin.”

Neither Laura nor Evans moved for a moment, both waiting for the other to strike first. But luckily for Laura, Evans had a shirt patience and lunged at the blonde with her trident. Laura spun out of the way, raising both gladii as Evans swung the trident to smash Laura in the head. Any camaraderie was long gone in the sands. No hard feelings.

Quick on her feet as ever, Laura shoved the trident forks into the sand and stepped on it, effectively blocking Evans from moving it for the moment. Using the momentum, Laura leapt up the shaft of the trident and tried to bring both gladii down in an X towards Evans’ collarbone. The Asian girl abruptly dropped the trident and rolled out of the way, flinging up the net she was allowed in defense.

Laura hadn’t faced a net before and immediately she knew she had to be careful. This was no ordinary rope net; it was made from barbed wire, and although Laura managed to avoid most of it, her leg brushed against the sharp spikes, tearing through her leggings and cutting her leg in a few places.

The blonde bared her teeth, not out of pain but rather in a predatory fashion; something she realised later that she adopted from Carmilla. Evans grinned in response and whirled the net around her head before flinging it back at Laura. No wonder she could easily hole it in the heavy gauntlets she was wearing.

Laura caught the net on her left hand side, ignoring the pain as she spun into the net, surprising Evans until she had both gladii against her neck, quickly ending the spar.

“Enough.”

Laura let out a harsh breath as the barbed wire net scraped off her, but tried not to show any emotion on her face as she faced Domina. The short woman was calculating both students before her with a harsh glare before saying,

“Hollis: Gladiatrix. Evans: Retiarius. You have both passed. Present me your heart and I shall brand it of the Silas Gladiators.”

Evans stepped forward and Domina raised a red hot poker with some sort of pattern on the end of it. Pulling down the collar of her shirt, Domina heavily pressed the searing metal against the top of Evans’ left breast, right by the heart. Laura heard the quiet whimper of pain from the other girl before Domina pushed her and the new brand away.

Next it was Laura’s turn. Still running on the adrenaline from the fight, she stepped forward, determined not to make a noise at the forthcoming pain. Instead she fixed Domina with a glare that would match her own as teacher branded student.

No noise escaped Laura, except the sizzle of burning flesh. She kept her eyes on Domina’s the entire time, noticing the flash of amusement that passed through them.

And then it was over. Later the pain would be intense, and Laura would be able to succumb to it, but for now she turned and headed back to her seat next to Evans, trying to ignore the smell of cooked meat. Looking down, she saw the brand that would mark her for the rest of her life.

**MDCXCVIII**


	5. Lesson Number Five: Bounce Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get real for Laura. A little too real.

Carmilla amused Lafontaine more than anything. For a centuries old self-proclaimed badass, she really was a massive dork and a huge softie.

So when said vampire was trying to stare the redhead down for interrupting yet another make-out session, they just laughed.

“You know, Cupcake, we’re really going to have get a lock on that door,” she vampire grumbled as she shifted from straddling Laura.

The blonde, still keeping her hands under Carmilla’s top, laughed. “The problem is that we have a lock. We just don’t use it.”

“Yeah thanks for that” LaFontaine piped up.

“Well, you’re still not in my good books Ginge.” Carmilla snarled back.

“Oh really Carmilla? Are you going to refer to us by hair colour because that will get rather confusing?” Perry popped up from behind Laf, desperately trying to ignore the lingerie littered around the room.

“Oh great. Let me guess Xena’s on her merry way as well?”

“Nice to see you too Fangface.” Danny said as she casually walked into the room.

“I’m surprised I didn’t hear you lolloping to get here, Giantess.” Carmilla snapped back.

“Alright you two. Not that I don’t enjoy seeing you guys but what are you doing here?” Laura piped up before Danny and Carmilla got into yet another fight.

“Ah right. Well, JP and I have discovered that there are still some odd going ons at Silas. Nothing on a Laphilformes level, but more on an underground fight club sort of level.”

“An underground fight club?” Laura and Carmilla asked in unison.

“Well, I say fight club. Its more-“

“A blood-thirsty gladiatorial arena.” Perry finished, earning an odd look from Lafontaine. “Sorry Sweetie.”

Laura’s blood had run cold. “What?” she squeaked out. Seriously why did her friends have to be so good at being nosy?

“Yeah, apparently there’s a Lannister situated at Silas.”

“Lanista.” Laura corrected automatically, earning her looks from everyone in the room. “What? Glad. Studies? Remember?”

_Stupid, Hollis. So stupid._

Danny frowned. “Oh yeah. Does any of this ring a bell with you? Like a professor mentioning it in passing?”

Finding her voice, the blonde shook her head. “No.”

“Maybe we should check it out though.” Laf suggested hopefully. “Apparently the first one is this weekend.”

“It does sound odd,” Perry concluded. “But it could be dangerous-“

“Oh please, Perr. This place is dangerous enough as it is. Remember when Laura fell into a tree?” they laughed, causing everyone else to smile.

Well, almost everyone.

Laura wasn’t laughing. Everything was getting a bit too real. The gladiator training, the acceptance into The Family which a few didn’t survive through, and now her friends were so close to finding out the truth. The room was starting to spin uncomfortably. _Breathe Laura, don’t forget to breathe_.

Carmilla, who had also been silent throughout, finally spoke.

“This isn’t the sort of thing I think we should be getting involved in.”

Danny frowned. “You’ve been here the longest. Did you know about this?”

Carmilla hesitated. Normally she would outright deny any involvement, but things were different now. She had Laura. And speaking of the girl, Carmilla looked to see the blonde beside her staring down at her lap. Carmilla would do anything for Laura but she didn’t want to lie to her.

“Yes, I was aware of it. But Mother never got involved with it. Something about a pact between tribes. She never went into detail, but I was told to focus on my own tasks.”

“Oh yeah, kidnapping girls to feed an abomination.” Danny drawled.

A growl ripped from Carmilla’s throat. “And what would you have done in my position. Helped them and died?”

“Enough you two.” Perry reprimanded. Sometimes these two were worse than children. “Laura, what do you think we should do?”

For a brief moment, Perry saw the fear and panic flash through the blonde’s eyes. Whilst Perry was good at ignoring the supernatural, she was surprisingly observant when it came to her friends. And she could see that this was getting to Laura.

“This weekend?” Laura internally cringed at how weak her voice sounded. She cleared her throat before continuing. “I can’t go this weekend. I’ve got a camping trip with Glad. Studies people.”

“A camping trip?” Carmilla raised a speculative eyebrow at Laura.

“Yeah, something about seeing what it was like to live in the Roman times.”

“Sounds like a ball. I might just have to pay you a visit to make sure that you’re not having too much fun.” The brunette smirked.

“No!” Laura saw the hurt flash across Carmilla’s features. _Great job, Hollis_. “I mean, surely it would be a great opportunity to see what’s going on. Carm, they need you-“

“Laura we aren’t going to go without you…” Danny began.

“No. you should. All of you. Then tell me about it so that maybe I can go the next time. It’s like you said. I would probably get hurt if I went.” _Oh the irony_. “Carm, you can see why they wouldn’t want your Mother getting involved. You’re not like them.”

Carmilla would never know how someone like Laura stayed with someone like her. There was a purity about Laura; a belief that the world might one day not be such a bad place. And here she was, giving her the opportunity to find out more answers. Answers she already knew, but the brunette wasn’t oblivious to the gesture.

“Alright Cupcake. But please, stay out of trouble.” Laura grinned at Carmilla before leaning in and giving her a quick peck on the lips.

“Right, so that’s sorted. You lot should plan.” Laura said, untangling herself from her girlfriend.

“Where are you going?” Carmilla asked with a pout.

“Glad. Studies. No rest for the wicked.” She laughed, amused by Carmilla’s adorableness. She didn’t think she would ever get over how Carmilla acted around her. She picked up her pre-packed bag and gave a quick “Have fun guys” before making her way to class, hoping against hope that nobody had realised quite how obvious she had been.

But there was now part of her that wanted to tell the others. To prove to them that she wasn’t some _child_ that needed constant supervision. She would see how this weekend went. If she lost, they’d find out, if she won, she figured she might as well tell them.

*

“Hollis. Taylor. Up front.”

Laura by now was used to Domina using her as an example. But usually it was against Evans who she was pretty fairly equally matched with. _Taylor_? This was new.

Taylor was the top student in the class. Towering at 6 foot 5, he stood well over a foot over Laura. And he wasn’t just tall. His arms were ripped with muscles, straining the sleeves of his t-shirt. Laura was fairly sure that a single arm of his was bigger than her whole body.

“Lesson Number Five: Bounce Back. Do not give in to pain. Do not allow yourself to surrender. Surrendering is weakness and nobody mourns the weak. Pain is a matter of perception. A concept inside our own heads. Show me that it doesn’t affect you. Prepare yourselves”

Taylor was a Murmillo. Laura kept her face purposefully blank as she watched the big guy armour up and grab his weapons. Split second thinking allowed Laura to seek his flaws. He was big, yes, but surely all that armour and that legionary style shield would slow him down. She would have to use that to her advantage. Being a lot smaller with no armour and weapons that she was now accustomed to holding, she didn’t despair.

What she hadn’t accounted for, however, was for Taylor’s strikes to be so powerful. She caught his first one on both her gladii and the mere force of it sent her stumbling backwards, only to get her body smashed with that giant shield. Anyone could see that she was outmatched, but that only made her work harder. Another hard hit from the shield sent her to her knees casting all the air from her lungs.

And suddenly, she understood the meaning of Lesson Number Five. Domina had never intended for her to win. She was to fight this mountain of a human being for as long as possible. She couldn’t surrender. She had a feeling that Domina would put her down if she showed the fingers of Priscus.

Rolling, she narrowly avoided being bisected the edge of the shield. Stumbling to her feet, she brought her swords around to hit Taylor’s shield, only at last moment to switch angles, bringing the swords to his less defended side. It was a good tactic, but a risky one. Her blades slashed across Taylor’s arm but her side was completely undefended, allowing for the beefy blond boy to knock into her sideways with his shield, effectively throwing her off balance, before bringing his sword down in an arc upon her back.

Laura knew what he was going to do the moment he hit her with his shield. The small girl spun away from him as much as she could but she still took a rather heavy blow to the side. Gritting her teeth, she rightened her balance, refusing to drop her guard at her opponent. His heavy helmet obscured his face, preventing Laura from seeing any reaction in his eyes. Any indication of where he would strike next.

She could feel her side bleeding. An odd feeling actually. It felt like she was being tugged constantly through her skin. She wanted this to end, but she couldn’t risk looking to Domina.

A twitch.

That’s all it took for Laura to take advantage. Taylor was trying to end it. He brought his sword up high, as if to strike her in the shoulder, and the Krav Maga training took hold. She threw herself at the boy, wrapping her legs around his waist and using his momentum to knock him off balance and plummet face first into the sand, allowing Laura to roll away and onto her feet.

Or at least she would if she could. Blood coated her side and ran in small rivulets down her legs, saturating the fabric of her sweatpants. She fell to one knee in the sand, one hand in the sand, still clutching her gladius, whilst the other rested on her knee, supporting her.

“Enough!” Laura had never been so glad to hear Domina’s voice. “Hollis, you did not surrender. Nor did you hesitate. Taylor, you should have finished her when you could. Both of you are free to leave for today.”

Laura tried standing, but to little avail. That was until large gentle hands pulled her up by her biceps.

“We should get that checked out.” a deep voice said softly in her ear.

Taylor led her to a seat before taking her gladii away from her and returning all the equipment. Coming back, he picked up his own bag and Laura’s before gently helping her up again.

After all, Lesson Number Four: Family Matters.

Domina had explained that despite fighting each other in training, it was important to remember that they were all brothers and sisters. Brothers and Sisters of the Silas Lanista. Whoever that was. Domina was their trainer, not their owner.

So really it was no surprise that Taylor was helping Laura.

When they had made it outside of the gym, the big guy swore. “I’m so sorry Laura.”

“It’s fine. She intended for me to lose.”

“Yeah, bet she was disappointed when you didn’t.” he chuckled. Glad. Studies students never spoke of Domina in more than a hushed whisper, and never for long periods of time. Who knew who could be listening?

“Well, well, well. Looks like we have a little snack.”

Both Taylor and Laura looked up to see a slight guy standing before them. Oddly enough, he reminded Laura of Will.

“Hey, we’re just passing through.” Taylor tried to manoeuvre the two of them around the stranger, only to be pushed back.

“Now now, play nice.” The stranger’s voice was high and quiet and when the light hit him in a particular way, his eyes glowed.

_Vampire_.

“Watch him. He’s dangerous.” Laura said, knowing that if she had bothered to mumble, he would have still heard her.

“She’s right you know.” he cocked his head at her. “You smell like Mircalla.” Laura swallowed nervously. How did this guy know Carmilla? “Of course you do. You’re her little pet. My my how angry she would be if somebody else had a little taste…” he giggled, causing goosebumps to crawl up Laura’s spine.

“Hey. You won’t be touching her with me around.” Taylor stood at his full height before swinging a punch at the stranger.

Punching a vampire is never a good idea. Laura would know.

The vampire easily dodged the blow and grabbed Taylor by the neck, smiling. Bright white fangs reflected the light of the nearest street lamp before he threw the taller guy into a wall. Laura could only watch as he slid down and didn’t move.

Shaking all over, she stood her ground. She didn’t fear vampires, Hell she’d gone up against enough in her time, but the wound in her side made her thoughts and movements sluggish.

“Hero time is over. I’m hungry.”

“I hate to break it to you, but you won’t be feeding from me.” It came out a lot stronger than she felt.

A strong backhand sent Laura crashing to the ground. She didn’t know what to do. It was too late to call Carmilla for help and Taylor was out cold. Why was there another vampire? Was he a straggler? Or another clan?

“Mammon will be so pleased when I dispose of you, you little runt.” A sharp kick to her wounded side made Laura cry out in pain. Still she refused to back down.

The vampire watched in amusement as the girl before him pushed herself to her hands and knees before shakily standing. She was unarmed and seriously hurt. There was little she could do now to fight back.

“Mammon? You mean the Dean? I got rid of that bitch when I smashed a rock into her face as she clung to the last remnants of her pathetic existence.”

The vampire bared his teeth and leapt at Laura, knocking her off her feet and onto the ground, causing her vision to black out momentarily.

“You stupid little girl. You have no idea what you have done. You shall pay for hurting Mammon. And she will destroy Mircalla for her betrayal. And what better way to destroy Mircalla than by killing you. Or maybe, maybe I should turn you. You could become my slave. Do my bidding. Anything I wanted.”

“Clearly you would go for that option. You couldn’t kill a thing. Vampires are supposed to be predators, and yet you would let a sworn enemy live. You’re even weaker than the Dean.” Laura spat back at him. He could threaten him all he wanted, but the minute he threatened to hurt Carmilla, she lost it.

“How dare you!” he roared. “Die now.” He painfully turned Laura’s head to the side and leant down to bite.

Laura’s last thoughts were of her father and the times they had spent together. And then of Carmilla whom she loved with her entire being. But she was too weak to protect the ones she loved. And now she was going to die. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

But instead, the harsh crack of a whip caused her eyes to jolt open. The vampire’s body was still leant over her, but his head was missing, allowing Laura a perfect view of the decapitated neck. A sharp kick sent the body from its current position. And then Domina was there, whip in one hand, stake in the other.

It was all too much. Laura’s eyes rolled back as the effects of everything that had happened to her body took hold. The last thing she thought she heard was Carmilla, saying her name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who else is excited for the little snippets and BTS of season 2.   
> Let me know what you thought of this chapter and hopefully I'll be updating soon.


	6. Lesson Number Six: Patience

The first thing Laura was aware of was the harsh light that cut through her eyelids. The second was that she hurt all over. God what had happened? She remembered the training with Taylor. And then they went outside and there had been someone there. Vampire.

Laura’s eyes snapped open, pupils dilating in the change of light.

It was very white in the room. In fact, it looked like a hospital room. Without moving her head, Laura scanned the room. It was bright and windowless, making Laura feel more like she was some sort of test subject than patient.

The door quietly opened and Laura concluded that she was either dead or heavily sedated.

Domina walked through, carrying a tray with water and medication on it. And she was wearing a nurse’s uniform. _Yep. I’m definitely dead_ , the blonde concluded.

“Oh good you’re awake.” There was an element of pleasantry in her voice, confusing Laura even more. Surely this couldn’t be Domina… maybe she had a twin sister or something?

“Dom-“ Laura croaked, finally realising quite how thirsty she was. However, before she could even finishing saying the other woman’s name, a straw was shoved into her mouth, effectively shutting her up.

“You must be thirsty.” The hard glint in Domina’s eyes made Laura realise that she shouldn’t be so quick to say the title. “We weren’t sure you were going to make it.”

Having quenched her thirst, Laura knew she had to ask the right questions. Thank god her journalism had her prepared for this. “We?”

“Your owner and I. The vampire exacerbated your wound, causing you to bleed out.” clearly Laura was no closer to finding out who was running this underground operation. “You’ve been unconscious for two days.”

Laura’s stomach dropped. Two days? Two whole freaking days? Carmilla must be freaking out. And her dad would be wondering why she hadn’t been sending her daily ‘I’m alive’ texts. Oh god she was in so much trouble.

The blonde was taken out of her thoughts when Nurse Domina slid a thick envelope onto the table next to Laura.

“As one of their gladiators with the most potential, your owner has compensated you for the trouble. I think you will find it most agreeable.” _Compensation my ass_ , thought Laura. She was being paid to keep her mouth shut. She wondered if Taylor had been bribed too.

“Taylor?”

“Alive.” Laura wasn’t ignorant to the respect that she saw in Domina’s eyes for asking about her “brother”. Laura released a breath that she wasn’t aware that she had been holding. Taylor was a formidable opponent, but he was also a sweet guy who had looked after Laura when she had been injured.

“So, I’m aware of the fact that you want to leave. And honestly we don’t want you here any longer than you have to be. But now that you’re awake, if I deem you to be healthy enough to leave then you can do so.”

It took about half an hour for Nurse Domina to help Laura out of the bed. Her legs shook from not having been used for the past two days, and her side was still extraordinarily painful. Furthermore, her face hurt to make expressions which worried her. It would be hard to convince people that she was alright if her face was all beat up.

“You are still weak. Understandable. But you are to be discharged. However, I don’t want to see you at training until Saturday. Then we can see if you will be ready for Sunday.” Laura nodded. She really wanted to prove herself on Sunday, but she also really wanted to get back to Carmilla. “Good then. Put these on and then you are free to leave. And make sure to take these pills three times a day.” Nurse Domina handed a bag to Laura before leaving.

Peeking inside, Laura saw her old, very bloodstained clothes. However, there were new clothes too. Jeans and a loose fitting t-shirt. She was grateful for the loose top as she took her hospital gown off and saw the heavy bandaging on her side. Wearing anything form-fitting in the next few days was going to be painful.

The heavy bandaging wasn’t the only thing that she was now aware of. Her body was painted with a Jackson Pollock of bruises. Great. Her once flawless skin was now marked with many little scars. Her left bicep had a web of thin scars upon it; a reminder of her fight against Evans and her barbed wire net.

At the bottom of the bag, Laura found her phone. Switched off. She was almost scared to turn it on, but necessity pushed her. And apparently she had been right in being worried about turning it on. There were over one hundred missed calls from everyone: Carmilla, Danny, Laf, Perry, her dad. There were countless texts and notifications.

She opened her contact list on her phone to call Carmilla to let her know that she was alive… sort of, but her phone shut off completely.

“Dammit.” She whispered. Why did phones have to run out of battery when you needed them most?

Shoving everything into her duffel bag, she quickly exited her room, intent on finding her Carmilla. Only to be stopped by a piercing pain in her side. Swearing again, Laura continued on her way, albeit a lot more slowly.

The blonde was glad to get out of the heavily sanitised air of the hospital, breathing in deeply the fresher Silas air. For the first time, she was grateful that the hospital was really rather close to the university campus.

*

It took Laura about half an hour of slow limping to get to her room. The entire way she had been planning on what to say to her girlfriend when she returned, changing it every few minutes. She had a feeling that Carmilla wasn’t going to be easy on her about this. But she couldn’t find out about the wound in her side. She had a feeling like that might be a bit too much for her to take.

But all arguments died out in her head when Laura entered her room. Surprisingly none of her friends were in her room. Well, none of the usual gang were there. A girl was sat, tied to the chair in the middle of the room. _Oh God, not this again_ , the blonde thought as she quickly entered the room, shutting the door behind her.

Hearing the door close, the tied up girl looked up and Laura was shocked to see Evans sitting there. Apparently Evans was surprised too.

“Christ Hollis. I thought you were dead.”

Dropping her bag, Laura hurried over to Evans, grabbing a pair of scissors on her way. “Heh, sorry to disappoint.”

“You look like shit.” Evans deadpanned, making Laura smile. The girl never beat around the bush, that’s for sure. “So? What happened? Domina lugged Taylor into the hall and she was totally covered in blood and she told everyone to stay in there. When Taylor came to, he said someone had tried to kill you…?” Laura frowned. Apparently Taylor had spoken before someone had told him to keep his mouth closed.

“Oh you know. Making friends and whatnot.” Laura shrugged, grimacing at the pain that the simple action caused.

Evans nodded. “So they’ve told you to keep quiet too?” Laura met Evans’ eyes, expressionless. “Taylor won’t speak of it anymore. We all sort of worked it out.”

Laura tried a smile, but couldn’t manage more than a momentary tilt of the lips. She turned her attention to cutting the duct tape off her… friend? Sister? God what do you call someone who beats you up almost daily and then treats you like a friend?

It took roughly five minutes for Laura to properly cut Evans loose.

“Thanks. So the aggressive brunette is you girlfriend? She’s intense.” Evans said amused, rubbing her now freed wrists.

“Yeah, that's Carmilla- wait Carm tied you up?” to be completely honest, Laura wasn’t even in the least bit surprised.

“Yeah, her and those moronic gingers. And that tall guy too.” That was more surprising. She hadn’t expected Perry, Danny, Laf and Kirsch to get involved in _another_ kidnapping. “They were really worried about you…” she finished quietly.

“What did you tell them?”

“Nothing about The Family. Obviously. I don’t Domina to skin me alive. Just that you had left early.” Laura wasn’t unaware of the carefully controlled anger in her tone.

“I’m sorry-“

“Don’t be. Clearly they had every right to be worried.” At Laura’s confused expression, Evans motioned to the bathroom. “Go have a look…”

Laura limped into the bathroom and turned the light on and looked in the mirror. She barely recognised the girl who looked back at her. Her right eye was masked with a deep black bruise and a stitched cut ran along the length of her cheekbone. Her neck was bruised as if someone had strangled her, which was entirely possible as Laura didn’t remember all that much from her encounter with the vampire.

Still staring at her battered self, she cast her mind back to see what she could remember of him. He had said that he knew Carmilla. He knew that Laura and Carmilla were close, so to speak. She didn’t remember seeing him with the Dean ever. Maybe he was another vampire clan in the area? But wouldn’t Carm have told her about that? Surely a vampire would know when another vampire was near. And he had talked about Mammon. Like Carmilla had called the Dean. Could the Dean still be alive… or undead or whatever? Carmilla had survived. So why couldn’t the Dean?

Laura ran a hand through her hair as a whole new type of headache pained her. God, how hard was it to have a normal semester?

A loud crash brought Laura’s attention back to the matters at hand. Walking back into the room, she saw Carmilla holding Evans in the air by her throat with the others behind her, armed with various household items.

“How did you get free?” Carmilla snarled. Laura properly looked at her girlfriend and saw a particular sallowness to her skin that indicated that she hadn’t been feeding. Evans on the other hand couldn’t speak and spluttered something incoherent out. “What was that? I can’t hear you.”

“Carm put her down.” Standing in the shadow of the doorway, no one had noticed Laura until she spoke. Their reactions would have been comical if Laura could find humour in such things nowadays.

Carmilla, very unceremoniously, dropped Evans and took a tentative step towards Laura, who had still not moved from where she stood.

“Laura?” Laura almost winced at how broken Carmilla sounded.

Laura looked to Evans. “Go.” It was all the other girl needed to take her leave, the others barely even noticing her leave.

The room was silent. Everyone was waiting for Laura to do something. To say something. But there was nothing to say. Nothing that she could say. Carmilla had stopped two feet away from Laura.

“Laura…” no longer a question, Carmilla just needed verification that she was there.

Laura sighed. “Carm…”

In the blink of an eye, Carmilla had wrapped her arms around Laura, holding her close, allowing herself to finally relax by having Laura in her arms again. Hesitantly, Laura put her arms around Carmilla, revelling in the feeling. As bad as it sounded, she forgot how good it felt to hold Carmilla. How it felt for her heart to skip a beat with each glance sent her way. How it felt for someone to unconditionally give her their heart. And most importantly, how important Carmilla was to her.

Laura felt her girlfriend nuzzle into the crook of her neck and in response she tightened her arms around the brunette, just letting her know that she was there.

Normally the others would feel awkward at such displays of affection, but they had seen the state that Carmilla had been in during the past two days. They understood that she needed this.

Finally, Carmilla pulled away, her hands still gripping Laura’s biceps, not letting go of her just yet.

“Laura, where have you been? We’ve been so worried.” Danny decided to break the silence and ask what everyone was dying to know the answer to.

“Yeah, Cupcake. Are you alright?” Carmilla said quietly, dragging Laura to sit on the bed.

And then she stopped, horror clouding her features. Laura was aware of the others almost bristling at the sight. Carmilla dropped her now shaking hands from Laura, her eyes wide in shock. She gently brought a hand up to touch Laura’s face, but stopped a millimetre before contact was made.

“What happened?”

Everything Laura had thought up on her way there disappeared from her mind. She couldn’t tell them the truth. But she didn’t want to tell them about the vampire either. She knew Carmilla would blame herself. But really she saw no other option.

“There… there was this, uh, vampire.” She mumbled the last word.

Carmilla’s eye twitched. Laura waited with bated breath to see how she was going to respond. Her face gave nothing away, but Laura could read in her dark eyes that she was really troubled by this.

“Who was this vampire? And where can I find them?”

“Gone. Killed. I… I don’t know who he was.”

“You killed him?” Laura could only nod mildly, her head aching and spinning like crazy. “Good. He didn’t bite you did he?” Laura hesitated, thinking about the injury in her side. She could just blame the vampire for what happened right? She had been quiet a moment too long and Carmilla stepped back with a terrified expression on her face. “Laura! Did he bite you?!”

“What? No. Not that.”

“Then what?”

Laura looked down. Maybe the others were right. She wasn’t cut out for this world. She wasn’t strong like them. She would always need to be looked after.

Carmilla took a step back towards the blonde and took her hand.

“He did… hurt me.”

A slight squeeze on Laura’s hand alerted her to how angry Carmilla was. Looking into her eyes, she saw a familiar hard glint. Carmilla was mad. She was going to make someone pay for hurting her Laura.

“How did he hurt you?” Kirsch asked with the same hardness in his tone.

_Oh god. Did they think-?_

“No no nothing bad. He just caught me in the side.” _Shut up Laura. Shut up._

“He caught you in the side? What does that even mean Laura?” Danny asked, concern evident in her voice and features.

“He had a knife-”

“Laura for the love of God tell us straight!”

“He stabbed me in the side.” Laura schooled her features to remain expressionless.

There was a silence in the room that was almost deafening. Nobody knew how to respond. It sounded like Laura had just said that she was-

“Wait what? Sit down Laura. You shouldn’t be standing. Where does it hurt?” and there was Perry in full-on mother mode.

“Perry stop. I’m alright-“

“Alright?” Damn. Danny sounded mad. “Laura, you go missing for two days and then come back battered and bruised and then you tell us you were stabbed by a vampire! WHAT PART OF THIS SOUNDS ALRIGHT TO YOU?!”

Laura flinched as she escalated into a shout. She didn’t want any of this. A sharp stab to her temple caused her vision to darken and her to abruptly sit, her hand going straight to the area that hurt. She was unaware of the others panicking around her, worried about the sudden change.

As her vision cleared, she became aware of Carmilla kneeling before her, her hands on Laura’s. Her eyes were wide and panicked as she looked into Laura’s.

“I get it guys. It’s… not ideal. I can’t talk about this right now. I just want to rest.”

“Please Laura, we won’t lose it.” Carmilla sent a pointed glare at Danny. “Just explain what happened.”

Laura sighed, swaying. She had really underestimated how weak she was. She felt an arm wrap around her shoulders as Carmilla sat next to her, holding her for support. Laura slumped against her, finding comfort in the embrace, before answering wearily.

“I left class early and in the quad he just appeared in front of me. He said…”

“What Laura?”

The blonde frowned. “I don’t remember. I think he said something about…”

A partial flash of a memory. At least she thought it was a memory. It was a voice echoing through her mind.

_“As much I despise her, she is going to help me more than she will ever know, and maybe even die for me.”_

That voice. She knew it too well. She spent a whole semester trying to find out a way to get rid of that voice.

“Mammon.”

“What?” Carmilla asked quietly.

“He said I was going to pay for what happened to Mammon. That… that she was going to make me pay.”

More silence.

“Well, so much for a quiet Dean-free semester…” Laf mumbled, earning an elbow to the side from Perry.

“She can’t be…” Carmilla sounded frightened, almost childlike with fear. It wasn’t surprising, seeing as Carmilla had betrayed her once mother in favour of her, a human.

“Mammon-“

“Don’t!” Carmilla barked, causing Laura to frown. “I don’t want you to say it. It makes you sound too familiar with her.” she amended quietly.

Laura grabbed Carmilla’s hand, squeezing it to let her know that she wasn’t alone.

The squeeze was all Carmilla needed to bring her back.

“Wait. You’re hurt. Let me see. Are you alright?” The brunette’s attention turned solely back to Laura.

“But Carm? The Dean-“

Carmilla looked Laura dead in the eye. “You always come first.”

Laura was momentarily stunned. So much so that she was slow to react when Carmilla started to lift the top she was wearing. The brunette stopped when she reached the bandages wrapped around Laura’s middle. She looked at Laura with concerned eyes.

“Laura, how badly were you hurt? And where have you been these past two days?”

Laura couldn’t bring herself to look away from those eyes.

“Hospital. I was taken there I think. I don’t actually know what happened.” The brunette reached one hand to cup Laura’s face, the less bruised side of her face.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you-“

“Carm stop. I’m here now. That’s all that matters. For now anyway.”

That was one of the reasons why everyone loved Laura. She never thought about herself. She would always go out of her way to make sure that everyone else was alright, often without thinking about herself. And that was why they had all been so worried about her when she had never returned from her class. But she never saw that.

Carmilla brought her forehead to rest against Laura’s, fully aware now of how nearly Laura hadn’t come back to her. Honestly, she never wanted to let Laura go again.

Perry, sensing the end of the conversation, decided to step in.

“Alright then. Laura, I have no doubt that you’ll be in more than capable hands with Carmilla. We’ll come by tomorrow to see you. Come along now.” She ushered everyone out of the room, leaving Laura and Carmilla alone.

Laura lay back on the bed, wincing at the pain that the action caused. Carmilla stood over her, watching with concern, unsure of what to do.

“Carm, could you do something for me?”

“Yes, of course Cupcake. Anything.”

“Feed. I can tell you haven’t in a while.”

Carmilla stood stock still for a second, unsure of how to react. She thought that Laura would want to forget about things like vampires for a while. Things like she was.

Laura, sensing this, pushed herself up, ignoring her girlfriend who was trying to stop her from moving. Instead Laura stood, staggering slightly. Carmilla held her by the arms to steady her. Laura leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on the other girl’s lips.

“Please Carm. _I need you_. Please. For me.”

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“Nothing about you could bother me.”

The brunette smiled. She leant down and gave Laura another, longer, gentle kiss, her hand coming to rest on her hip.

“Fine. But rest. Please Laura.”

The blonde nodded, carefully sitting on her bed before lying, not even bothering with her jeans or shoes. Carmilla walked over to the refrigerator, finally realising how hungry she was. Pouring herself a glass of her special “soy milk” she turned back to Laura, only to find the blonde already out to the count.

The brunette sat on her own bed as she drank and just watched Laura. Having her back meant that some of her unease had faded, but not all of it. Laura had been hurt pretty badly and Carmilla wanted someone to pay. And if her mother was involved at all then there was no doubt about the fact that Carmilla would kill her.

Carmilla’s eyes raked over Laura’s face, taking in the deep bruising and the cuts that ran along her cheekbone and there was another one on her hairline. The vampire’s jaw clenched. How dare someone hurt Laura? Her Laura! The bruising on her neck stood out starkly against her skin. When Laura had lain down, her top had ridden up, revealing those bandages. Carmilla really wanted to know the exact extent to Laura’s injuries. She had a doctorate after all and could probably help the other girl.

Sighing, she stood and put her glass in the sink. Laura had enough to worry about at the moment. Walking back to her bed, Carmilla took the cover from her bed and laid it across Laura, content to watch over the little blonde for the rest of the day.


	7. Lesson Number Seven: Be Prepared for Anything

Carmilla was gone when Laura woke the next morning. That, however, didn’t mean that she was alone. As the blonde shuffled, her eyes met a familiar pair of bright eyes, carefully watching her.

“Perry…” Laura croaked, sleep coating her voice.

“Ah Laura, you’re awake. How are you feeling today?” instantly alert, Perry was attentive whilst keeping a bit of space between them. Laura was grateful for that.

“A little sore, but better after resting. Where’s Carm?” Laura hissed at the pain in her side as she sat up. She could see Perry was unsure of whether or not she should help her. But the last thing Laura needed was help in sitting up in bed.

“Oh, you know. Off to finish some business or something. She said she wouldn’t be long.”

That didn’t sound good. Carmilla had been concealing her anger last night and Laura didn’t know what ‘business’ she had to take care of. Maybe it had something to do with Mammon. The thought made Laura sigh. She swung her legs out of bed and tested how it felt standing.

“Laura you really shouldn’t be over-exerting yourself-“ Perry began, standing along with the small blonde. Laura held up a hand to stop Perry from continuing.

“No no. it’s fine. I’m fine. Plus a little exercise is meant to help with healing. I think.”

“Exercise?”

“Yeah, I’m just going to pop to the café on campus. I’m really craving sugar.”

Perry raised an eyebrow at the food choice but her focus was still on Laura’s health. “Laura I really don’t think you should be moving about…”

“Perry, please. I’m not going for a run or anything. The café is literally five minutes away. And I won’t be walking quickly so it will probably be more like ten minutes. Just a little fresh air and then it’s back to bed. I promise.”

Perry could see that she wasn’t going to convince Laura. It had taken her a week of constant nagging to get Laura to leave bed when they thought that Carmilla had died. “Fine, but I’m coming with you-“

“No. I actually was going to ask if you fancied cleaning the bathroom. You know, without me around,” Laura flinched at how casual she sounded about it, “it’s a bit of a state…?” normally Laura wouldn’t feel comfortable straight out asking Perry to do something like that without reason, but the blonde really needed to clear her head. Not to mention she really was very hungry and wanted something overly sugary.

All night the voice had been plaguing her. Saying the same thing. What did it mean?

Apparently Laura had no need to worry. Perry smiled at the shorter girl, glad that she could help in some way. Not to mention the state of that bathroom always grated on her nerves. Even when Laura cleaned it she wanted to go over it again.

“Fine. But if you’re not back in twenty-five minutes, I’m sending the Alchemy Club after you. And try to get something green whilst you’re out.” Laura laughed, wincing slightly as she did so. What she loved about Perry was that she learnt from her mistakes. She had once questioned Laura’s capability and now she was allowing for Laura to show that she was capable. She wished that more people were like Perry.

Grabbing a change of clothes, Laura went and changed in the bathroom. Taking her top off she got to fully assess the damage done in the mirror. From underneath the bulky bandages, bruising was spreading. Not surprising when considering how many times Taylor had hit Laura with his shield. Running her fingers over her now-healed brand, Laura wondered if it was worth it.

Was all the secrecy and pain worth it? Was the mutilation and fear worth it? To prove that she wasn’t the little girl everyone treated her like? Laura couldn’t decide. There were too many points to both sides of the argument.

Frowning, she gently washed her face and changed. Normally she wouldn’t go out in sweatpants but she could hardly bring herself to care right now. She had other things to worry about. She snorted lightly at how much it sounded like she was a regular student. But she wasn’t.

Exiting the bathroom, she turned to Perry with a small smile. “It’s all yours.”

Perry smiled sweetly, bustling off into the attached room. She stopped in the doorway and turned back to Laura. “Remember, twenty-five minutes. Or else…”

Laura nodded with a genuine smile on her face. “Got it. See you soon.”

Grabbing some money on her way out, Laura left, allowing all her troubling thoughts to bubble to the surface. She had always like walking off her thoughts in the rain, but just walking and thinking was good too.

The first thing she had to deal with was Mammon. Where had she heard her saying those words? She didn’t think it was when she and Laf tried to crash the faculty meeting. Or at all last semester to be honest. What had that vampire said? He spoke of Mammon in the present tense. But she had fallen into the light. But then, so had Carmilla…

Laura stopped walking. _Ok, so let’s say for argument’s sake that Mammon is still alive_. She continued walking, dread settling in her stomach like lead. But when had she heard Mammon say that she was going to help her? _Holy Hell she’s the Lanista_! The most worrying part was that Laura wasn’t even all that surprised. It made sense. Mammon had made Carmilla stay away from the gladiators because she was using them. And now Laura was one of them. Oh God, the tables have turned now. Last semester, Laura had been on the side of ‘good’ and Carmilla had been helping from behind the lines. Now look where she was. She was technically behind enemy lines.

An even more worrying thought hit the blonde as the café came into sight. She was Mammon’s property. The brand. _The Family_. All Mammon’s.

*

Carmilla walked back into the dorm room, only to find it empty. Ignoring the flash of panic that she felt at Laura no longer being there she hurried over to the bathroom after hearing movement in there and rushed to open the door, only to find Perry standing there, bleach in one hand, toilet brush in the other.

“Oh Carmilla. You gave me a fright.”

“Where’s Laura?”

“Oh she went to the café. Not long ago actually. You must have just missed each other-“

“You let her go? Like that?” Carmilla couldn’t believe the ginger. She had seen how injured Laura was and she just let her go. Just like that?

“Well no, but you know how Laura gets.” Carmilla inclined her head in mild amusement. She knew exactly how Laura got. “And she said I could clean your bathroom whilst she was out.”

“Cleaning was the bargaining chip?” Carmilla stared blankly at Perry who just shrugged. “There’s something very wrong with you.”

“Oh stop complaining and go find her.”

Carmilla turned to go but paused, voicing the question that just struck her. “Why did she go?”

“Why else? Sugary treats.” A rare smile was shared between the two before Carmilla left the dorm, hurrying after her tiny girlfriend.

With her heightened speed, she found Laura in a minute. Actually, the small blonde stuck out when she was stood next to the blond beast of a guy who was currently next to her. Wait, were they friends? Laura was smiling and chatting with the guy who was frowning at her. Not an angry frown, no. It was one she had been sporting a lot recently. It was a worried frown.

Carmilla kept her distance, focussing her hearing on what they were saying. She would normally hate to eavesdrop on her girlfriend but she had never seen this guy before and had never heard Laura mention him. And with everything that had happened recently, coupled with the feeling that Laura wasn’t telling her everything, Carmilla listened.

“-absolutely fine. No harm done.” Laura was saying.

“Well still. If it weren’t for me-“

“Oh please. It could have happened to anyone. And I would have been fine if it weren’t for the vampire…”

The big blond guy’s shoulders sagged. “Christ it was a vampire wasn’t it? I barely remember it myself.”

“How is the head, by the way? Evans said you were out cold and I remember him throwing you…”

The big guy shrugged. “Hurt for a bit. But what can I say, ‘pain is a concept of the mind. We must train ourselves to be free from it’.” shockingly for Carmilla, Laura laughed. Really laughed too. She could see her girlfriend gritting her teeth against the pain afterwards. Personally, she didn’t see what was so funny about what he had said. It sounded very robotic, despite the odd voice the guy put on. “And apparently you’re a better actress than me.” Carmilla frowned. What did he mean by that?

Laura shrugged and even from where she was, Carmilla could see that the simple action of shrugging hurt the tiny blonde.

“I’m used to it.” the more she listened to this conversation, the less Carmilla understood. What was Laura used to? Pain? Why was she used to pain?

The guy seemed confused too. “You’re a mystery Hollis.” The vampire could see Laura smile sadly. “Hey, uh, did _they_ come and tell you to keep quiet about it too?” Carmilla’s interest perked considerably. Who had told this guy to keep quiet about what had happened? And had they talked to Laura too?

Apparently so as the small blonde nodded. “Yeah, with a healthy _compensation_ for it too.” Compensation? For the attack? Or bribe?

“Yeah, they must really want ultimate secrecy with us. They paid me off too. I mean, I’m not complaining cause the extra money is great and I can’t wait to start earning... are you going to be able to make it this weekend?”

Laura laughed again, but Carmilla could see that there was no mirth in her eyes. “Yeah. _She_ hasn’t given me a choice.”

“Tough break Hollis. Do you think you’ll be alright?” Carmilla didn’t know what was going on, but she could see that this guy cared for Laura. If it was platonic then maybe she wouldn’t kill him, but maybe a little talking to Laura, or even more public displays of affection.

Whilst Carmilla loved Laura with all her being, after having lived so long, and having seen so many thousands of couples in her time, they still caused the vampire to cringe.

“I’m going to have to be. I mean, I barely walked away from this. After all, Lesson Number Five…”

The big guy gently put a hand on Laura’s shoulder and Carmilla couldn’t help but bristle. Laura was _hers_. “I’ve seen you Hollis, you’ll do great.”

Laura ducked her head, smiling. Carmilla narrowed her eyes. What the frilly hell was going on here? The brunette debated on whether she should keep listening or interrupt and put the big guy in his place. After half a moment, Carmilla’s jealousy won over and she moved from her shadowed watching place over to where the two blonds were talking.

The big guy saw her first and instantly squared his shoulders. The brunette’s ears were still sharp and heard him say to Laura, “I think there’s another vampire here.” God how Carmilla hated what she was.

Laura turned around surprisingly nimbly for someone with such and injury and Carmilla half expected her to be mad at her for being there. How wrong she was. The smile that spread across Laura’s features made Carmilla feel something special. Something positive. The hatred of what she was dissolved and an unfamiliar warmth spread through her being.

“Carm hey!”

“Cupcake.” Carmilla came to a stop next to the blonde and put her arm around the blonde’s shoulders, wary of not hurting the girl.

“Oh Taylor, this is my girlfriend, Carmilla.” She kept her face in check, but the brunette was thrilled that Laura had introduced her as her girlfriend. Clearly she had nothing to worry about. “Carm, this a friend from class, Taylor.”

The vampire and the blond boy assessed each other for a long moment before both nodding at the other.

“Nice to meet you Carmilla.” Taylor said, smiling slightly. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. Carmilla sent him a smirk in return.

Taylor glanced at his watch, his eyes widening almost comically. “Scheiße. Sorry Hollis. Gotta run. Get better soon, yeah?” he grabbed Laura’s hand, shaking it once with an odd look in his eyes before bolting off in the direction of the English building.

Carmilla turned to Laura, her arm sliding from Laura’s shoulders so that she entwined their hands instead. “Well he was an oddball.”

Laura smiled and Carmilla was glad to see humour in her chestnut eyes. “You’re adorable when you’re jealous.”

The brunette’s eyebrows shot up. “Hey, I’m not adorable. That’s your job. I’m cool and dislocated from the world...”

Laura giggled and for a moment, Carmilla could almost forget all of the weirdness that surrounded them. Key word: almost. The bruising and gash sobered Carmilla’s enjoyment of the moment, but it was still nice to see Laura smiling and laughing again.

“Of course you are. Now come on, I’m hungry.”

“Well someone certainly feels better today.” The brunette drawled, but Laura could hear the optimism in her voice. “Which could explain why you are out and about…” she raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

“Oh come on Carm, not you too. I feel so much better after a rest and I was hungry-“

“Then you should have gotten Perry to go get you food. Or LaFontaine. Or even Xena. Anyone.”

Laura stopped walking. “I’m fine Carmilla.” Carmilla’s spine prickled at the use of her full name. Damn she had pissed Laura off. “Look, just wait here. I’m going to grab some food and then I’ll be right back.”

“Laura-“

“Two minutes.” Was all the blonde said before she entered the café.

Carmilla ran a frustrated hand through her hair. She knew that Laura hated being told that she was weak and needed looking after, but she needed to see the situation from her point of view. She had lost the most important thing in the world for two days, only for her to come back broken. Carmilla was trying her best to hold back and not smother the other girl, but it was hard. All she wanted to do was to wrap her arms around her and never let her go.

The door to the café opened, bringing Carmilla from her thoughts. Laura stood there, looking tired.

“Carm, I’m sorry. I know that you’re looking out for me, but I can manage on my own.”

Carmilla took a couple of steps towards the other girl, hands entwining again. “I know you can, Cupcake, but I don’t want you to. I’m here. We’re here. I don’t want you to have to do anything on your own if I can help it.”

Laura leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to the brunette’s lips. “I know. It’s just, with everything that’s gone on, I just feel so on edge…”

Carmilla smiled fondly at the blonde. “I know, Laura. But you should know now that I don’t think that you’re weak or need a babysitter.”

Laura smiled. It was odd how in tune the two were with each other, despite their obvious differences. One would always know how to make the other feel better. To anyone else it was clear that there was a connection that ran so much deeper between the two, but so far it was undefined.

“Come on, let’s get back.” Carmilla said, lightly pulling Laura in the direction of their dorm.

“Wait.” Carmilla spun back to Laura, worried if she was hurting. Instead she came across a cheeky smile gracing Laura’s features. The blonde quickly leant in, moving her hand from Carmilla’s to the back of her neck and pulling the brunette into a kiss. Carmilla, never being one to back off from kissing Laura, was stunned still for a moment.

Never in her life had the sensation of kissing someone felt like what it felt like to kiss Laura. She felt so… _alive_.

After getting over the initial shock of Laura kissing her like _this_ in public, Carmilla was quick to respond. Moving her hand to cup the good side of Laura’s face, she tilted her head, parting her lips slightly as she did so. Feeling the change in movement, Laura swiped her tongue along Carmilla’s bottom lip, teasing the brunette. A soft bite and then the blonde pulled away, cheeks flushed and breathless. Carmilla wasn’t much better either.

“What was that for Cupcake?” Laura wasn’t oblivious to the unusual roughness of Carmilla’s voice.

“I just wanted to thank you for, y’know, being you.” Carmilla’s eyes grew wide. Laura would always make her feel loved, no matter what. She would always be able to bring her out from whatever dark place her thoughts were in. It was coming to the point where Carmilla wondered how she made it so long without the small blonde. “Oh and it’s a little spoiler for what will come later when I’m better.” Carmilla choked on a breath that she didn’t need and Laura laughed, dragging her girlfriend by the hand back to their dorm where she could finally eat her breakfast.

*

Laura actually ended up really enjoying her days off; laying in bed next to Carmilla, dozing with her girlfriend, and, shockingly, Carmilla let Laura choose what they would watch together. It had shocked the blonde at first, but then she realised the extent that Carmilla had worried when she had gone. But it had only been two days. She had only been gone for _two days_. As much as she hated thinking of it, she did worry what would happen to the others should she fail Glad. Studies. Would they accept it? Laura reasoned that maybe everyone had been so worried because there was no idea of what had happened to her…

The blonde shook her head. Recently, these thoughts were becoming more and more frequent as she healed. Not training made her feel useless, and coupled with the dreams of the vampire and Mammon, she was feeling restless.

However, there was another upside to her time of rest other than spending some quality time with her girlfriend. Laura had made a good start on her journalism project. After looking into her project more thoroughly, Laura realised it didn’t have to be video journalism. And in fact, she figured that it would be good to mix it up a little and write what she was sure was going to be a long dissertation-style report on the topic.

Laura had never had any trouble with finding herself in dangerous situations, and she had figured out a genius way to fulfil the requirements of the project.

_Silas’ Underground Fight Club: The Truth Behind the Myth and Mystery_

_An undercover report by Laura Hollis_

Yes, ‘Lesson Number Two: Tell No One’ was still ingrained into her mind, but the way Laura had decided to word her report didn’t indicate anything to do with the Gladiators or The Family. And honestly, Laura was super chuffed with herself for solving the problem. She was surprised by how much of a weight had been removed from her shoulders when she started her report.

There was one more thing that worried Laura. When Taylor had said goodbye the other day, he had shaken Laura’s hand which had struck her as odd until she felt the small piece of paper pass into her hand. What he had scribbled on the paper had caused Laura to dread going back to training.

_Lesson Number Seven: Be Prepared For Anything_

She wasn’t sure what that meant really. Sometimes, well actually it was quite often, she forgot that it was still a class and that she learnt things in it. And she had missed a week’s worth of training and also the meaning behind lesson number seven. But she wouldn’t have to wait long. She had to get to the gym at 7am tomorrow and would be staying away from her dorm until Sunday night. Something that she had yet to tell Carmilla. She knew that she had to go and so she packed her bags anyway, knowing some serious convincing was going to be in order when Carmilla got back from replenishing her blood supply.

Luckily Laura didn’t have to wait long. The brunette entered the dorm with a bag full of blood bags, Danny hot on her tail, so to speak.

“-didn’t have to do that!” Danny snapped at the vampire. Laura stopped folding her socks to put in her duffle bag and watched the two, wondering what had happened this time.

“Bite me Xena.” Carmilla snapped back at the redhead without turning round, instead bending to the little fridge and putting the acquired blood inside.

“No Dead Girl. Did you have to knock out that security guard?” Laura raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“He saw me taking them. But now I’m starting to regret only knocking _him_ out.” The brunette growled and Laura couldn’t help but smirk at the situation before her. She was sure that in another universe Danny and Carmilla would be best friends. Maybe.

“Oh nice one Vampire. I would so take you down if-“

“One day, the two of you will get along and Hell will freeze over. And I’ll be standing there throwing confetti…” Laura continued folding her socks and her focus went back to her packing.

Both Danny and Carmilla stood frozen staring at the girl that they had temporarily forgotten was still in the room. Because she had looked away, Laura missed their mirrored confused faces at her comment.

“What?” they said simultaneously before looking at the other and turning away.

“Confuse people to pacify them.” The blonde responded.

“Excuse me?” Carmilla stepped towards Laura, confused at what she had just said. She had heard that before.

“Simone de Beauvoiir wrote that sometimes when people were fighting then confusing them would stop them and could even unite them-“

“Yeah I’m familiar with the work. I wasn’t aware that you were though, Cupcake?” Carmilla moved to sit on her own bed, still ignoring Danny.

“Well seeing as philosophy is so important to you, I’ve been looking into it. You know, it is actually really interesting.” Laura explained with a shrug. She wasn’t sure why both Carmilla and Danny were looking at her like that though. It was simple wasn’t it? If you like someone, you look into their interests to not only understand them better, but for them. It could bring people closer.

Carmilla couldn’t help the smile that came to her face. “You’re too good for this world.” She said quietly. Laura smiled shyly at her in response. She was too adorable sometimes.

Danny, having gotten over her anger at Carmilla, finally realised that Laura was packing.

“Uh Laura? Are you going somewhere?” the dopey smile instantly vanished from Carmilla’s face.

“Yep. Still got that camping trip this weekend.” She said brightly.

“Really? Did you forget what happened this week?” Laura could tell that Danny was really trying to stay calm.

“No of course not. But I’m feeling so much better,” which was true. Whatever was in those pills that Domina gave her to take really did the trick. The wound had almost finished healing over. “I have to go. It’s compulsory.”

“Surely your teacher will understand-“

“No. She was the one to remind me that I have to be there. But don’t worry, she gave me particular permission to keep a phone on me in case there was any problem with anything…”

Danny sighed. She wasn’t Laura’s girlfriend. But that didn’t stop the redhead from feeling the need to look after Laura. She had seen the blonde in action. She had seen how capable she was. It was just, seeing her so small and beat up recently, the redhead was worried about what was really going on. Laura might have thought that she was successful in hiding whatever was going on, but she wasn’t. Everyone had noticed that something was going on, and they were wondering what the best approach to confront Laura about it was.

Carmilla met Danny’s eyes for the briefest moment and a simple message was sent between them. They couldn’t fight Laura on this. They had to let her go and do it.

Carmilla wasn’t happy with the decision, but surely a supervised weekend away with the university couldn’t be _that_ bad could it? It was Silas, but still…?

“Sure Laura, but call us if anything feels off.” Danny conceded.

“Immediately.” Carmilla added.

Laura raised her eyebrows at the two, but decided to just nod. Since when did they agree on anything? And did it have to be because of her wellbeing? Still, best not to question them when they had agreed.

“Thanks guys.”

*

Laura had forgotten the musty smell of the gym, how the doors creaked when you opened them, how the crack of Domina’s whip sent a bolt of fear through her. Especially now that Laura had seen that whip in action. Seen that whip decapitate a person, well vampire.

As Laura walked in, five minutes before seven, all talking stopped. Laura was not unused to people talking about her; everyone in her journalism class said that she was the reason for Carmilla’s death. Well, they hadn’t been wrong. But still, everyone in the gym stopped talking and stared at Laura as she walked in, duffel bag swung over her shoulder. Clearly she was here for the long run.

“The mighty Hollis returns!” Evans called, confidently striding towards the blonde, grinning widely. Taylor was right behind her, grinning like a fool.

“She lives!” he laughed, dramatically swaying on the spot, clutching his heart.

Laura laughed at the two. She then noticed that everyone wasn’t looking at her in judgement, but rather in awe. They must have known that something went down between her and Domina and someone else, and here she was, less than a week later, ready to fight for her life.

“Hollis!” Laura clenched her jaw and turned to find Domina standing there behind her, whip in hand. Laura inclined her head slightly, alerting Domina to her respect for the woman. Domina looked to the rest of the class, cold glare fixing on each member there. “All of you to positions. Spar. Hollis, you face me.”

The silence that followed that comment caused goosebumps to crawl up Laura’s spine. _Her_ face _Domina_? She really shouldn’t be all that surprised. She had a feeling that something like this was going to happen when Taylor had given her the note. But still, it didn’t help with the dread that filled her at the thought of facing possibly the most dangerous opponent that she had ever faced.

Another glare sent the rest of the students scrambling to their own tasks, not wanting to risk Domina’s wrath, or her whip. “Take up your gladii. I will judge to see if you are fit to fight tomorrow.”

Laura picked up the familiar swords, marvelling in how comfortable they felt in her hands. Turning back to her teacher, she saw the woman had armed herself similarly.

Without announcement, Domina struck, bringing both swords in a side-swoop towards Laura’s head. The blonde held her own gladius up to block the strike, spinning under Domina’s outstretched arms and bringing her spare gladius up to Domina’s side. The older woman, however, was quicker than that. She brought one of her swords down to block the attack, her other elbow knocking into Laura’s forearm, loosening her hold on the sword.

The blonde, aware of this, stepped back and rolled under the strike at her neck, all the while readjusting her hold on the blade. As she came out of her roll, she spun and instantly brought her swords up in defence as Domina’s onslaught continued. The blonde gritted her teeth against the shockwaves and pushed herself up against her teacher, blades still interlocked. Her side was aching, but it was bearable.

Deciding on a brash move next, Laura positioned her feet so that when she pushed Domina next, the woman fell back over her feet. It was an old Krav Maga trick. The other woman though was back on her feet in an instant, cushioning her fall with a roll and pushing herself back onto her feet. The two women stood for a moment, assessing one another.

Laura knew that she wouldn’t be able to defeat Domina with her normal moves. The woman’s job was to analyse her moves and assess them. She knew each and every move of Laura’s. A formidable opponent.

Laura was never one to initiate a first attack, so, in the hopes of catching Domina off-guard, she feigned attacking her right side before aiming for her left side. Laura watched for the recognition to bloom in the older woman’s eyes before rolling on her back, striking at Domina’s now exposed right side.

A thrill of elation and petrification rushed through Laura as her sword made contact with Domina’s thigh, drawing blood. The blonde saw pure confusion and surprise flash through Domina’s eyes before the brunette swung at Laura’s head. Naturally the blonde raised her own weapons in defence. However, as she did so, Domina switched the gladius in her left hand into a backhand position and spun round Laura, pressing her backhanded blade to Laura’s throat whilst the other blade’s point was pressed against the bottom of the back of her neck.

_You will fight tomorrow_


	8. The First Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura is tested and her training is put to the test.

The roar of the crowd was deafening. Who would have thought that an underground university gladiator arena would have been so popular? And well known, apparently. Carmilla would never admit it, but she was glad that Laura had that camping trip this weekend. Sure she could protect her, but she wasn’t around all the time. Recent events had proved that.

Carmilla sat with the Ginger Squad, looking around at the people in the arena. There were all sorts of people there, from old women cheering for blood (harpies maybe?) to tiny children (god, were those sprites?). Apparently this place was most known by the supernatural. _Unsurprising_ , Carmilla thought with a roll of her eyes.

Danny sat to her right, also observing the crowd. She wasn’t comfortable here. Especially not when she had to sit next to Wednesday Addams. But still, they were there to see what this place was. And if they could then find out anything about the Dean then that could be useful as well.

“Remind me what we’re doing here again?” the tall redhead huffed, bringing her denim jacket closer around her. It wasn’t cold, but it did provide some comfort. She felt, more than saw, Carmilla shrug beside her.

“Because there’s an underground gladiator ring at our university!” LaFontaine said, practically vibrating with excitement. “Who knows what poor souls they use to fight for entertainment.”

Carmilla huffed in response. “Maybe they deserve it…” she grumbled.

Danny, about to comment on Carmilla’s apathetic remark, stopped herself, realising that, knowing Silas, it was thoroughly possible.

“Even so, remember what happened with the Dendrology club?” LaF answered, causing the others grimace at the memory of the poor students who had gone out on the wrong lunar cycle and been turned into trees. “And even if it is just some weirdos who do this, it’ll be good to watch maybe?” they finished, raising their eyebrows at the others, almost challenging them. No one argued with them.

“Welcome to the Silas Gladiatorial Games of the Fifteenth year of the Second Millenium Anno Domini.” A voice boomed through the arena, causing everyone’s eyes to turn to the lavishly decorated box that was in prime position to watch over the games.

However, what they saw caused dread to fill each of them. There, beside the announcer, stood an all too familiar face.

Carmilla’s jaw clenched as her eyes fell upon her “mother”. Lilita Morgan looked no different to when Carmilla had first been _changed_. Her face was composed with the smile that she had learnt to dread. It was a smile that reeked of confidence, self-worth and dominance. Carmilla watched as Lilita seemed to chat amiably with the man sitting next to her. She wasn’t paying any attention to what was happening. She didn’t pay attention as all the competitors made their way to the sand.

Carmilla frowned. _Why wasn’t she paying attention_? She knew what went on at these things. Lilita had always paid attention to potential victors, and yet, she hadn’t even looked their way. _What did it mean_?

“Well, we know she’s not dead…” LaF said uncertainly.

“She hasn’t seen us yet, we should leave now.” Perry tried to stand and pull LaF up with her, but Carmilla forced her to sit back down.

“We can’t leave. Not without drawing attention to ourselves. And believe me when I say that I do not want that woman’s attention on me right now.” The vampire all but growled at the redhead.

Danny frowned. “As much as I hate to admit it, but she’s right. We’re in no position to fight her. Or whatever supporters she has here with her.”

LaF’s eyebrows drew together over amused eyes. “Oh so now you two can get along when Laura’s-“

“You better not finish that sentence Ginger One if you hope to live.” Carmilla snarled, unaware of Danny nodding behind her.

“Why am I not Ginger One?” Perry huffed, crossing her arms.

“Of course you’re Number One, Perr.” They said, smiling at the curly haired ginger who blushed and smiled shyly back at them.

“Uh guys?” Danny brought everyone’s attention to the matter at hand. Carmilla would never admit that she was grateful for more of a reason to look away from the Gingerbread couple.

Danny motioned to the box and Carmilla allowed herself to feel hopeful for the first time since she heard that her mother was back. The Dean’s left arm was missing. From just above the elbow down, there was a distinct lack of arm. Carmilla smiled as she beheld the woman who for centuries she believed to be indestructible. These games had suddenly got a lot more interesting.

*

Taylor was the first to fight. Laura watched as he fought an equally stocky opponent. From where she was watching, Laura wasn’t sure if his opponent was wearing scaled armour or simply had scales. _Simply had scales_? God Silas was doing things to her perception of normal.

Laura watched as Taylor ducked under a high stroke from his opponent, using his momentum to strike back at his opponents exposed side with his shield, causing him to stumble backwards. Laura didn’t need to be close to know that Taylor’s opponent would have been winded from such a hit; she had experienced it herself. What took her by surprise though was the mighty roar from the crowd at such an action. She had completely forgotten that this was entertainment. That people _enjoyed_ watching them fight.

The blow with the shield seemed to have dazed Taylor’s opponent, and the big blond boy took full advantage of that, feigning a sword strike to his left and then spinning last moment with his shield, bashing the other round the head, forcing him to the ground. Taylor was upon him in an instant, pinning him down with his shield and holding his sword to the others throat.

Taylor looked up to the box where Mammon was seated. The mere sight of her still caused Laura to fill with dread, even with the knowledge that she would not try to kill her just yet. In fact, that thought caused Laura more discomfort than anything she had ever felt before. The small blonde watched as a chant began in the arena, rising until her heart beat in time with it, the reverberations echoing out through her entire body. _Kill, kill, kill_. The crowd wanted blood. And Mammon granted it, holding out her arm with her thumb pointing down. A clear sign for death.

Laura couldn’t see Taylor’s face; it was obscured by a heavy helmet, but she saw his hesitation. It was only momentary, however, as Taylor pushed his sword through his downed opponent’s throat, releasing a stream of blood onto the sand. The crowd cheered loudly and Laura looked away. She only looked back when she heard the gates open and Taylor stiffly walked back through. He wasn’t hurt, Laura couldn’t see any wounds upon him, but it was only until after he had walked past Domina and had nodded respectfully to her that he took his helmet off, revealing his tear-streaked face. Killing didn’t come naturally to many. Laura found comfort in the fact that a beast of a man like Taylor found no solace in killing.

Laura turned from watching. Her nerves were getting to her, causing her body to shake involuntarily. She knew that she was fighting last; bad luck, she thought wistfully. It would be easier if she could fight as one of the first, when the crowd was fresh and without having to wait, watching others fall before her.

Laura turned and found a vacant corner, obscured by darkness. She sat, trying to block out the sounds of the arena: the cries of the crowd, the screams of the wounded, the sudden silences of the dead.

Laura was only vaguely aware of Evans going out and fighting. She came back with a deep cut upon her bicep but alive nonetheless. In fact, there was only one from The Family who did not make it back. A small guy, quick on his feet, but apparently not quick enough.

By the time it was Laura’s time to fight, the cries of the arena had become nothing but white noise in her ears. She felt like throwing up, but swallowed past it.

Domina approached where Laura stood. “Hollis. Prepare yourself to fight next.”

Laura nodded and looked to the armour beside her. She had never worn some in proper battle before and wondered if it would weigh her down. She would have to take that into account when fighting whoever it was she was up against. It was clear now that she couldn’t afford any mistakes.

Beneath her armour she wore black leggings and a black tank top. Her armour consisted of black leather greaves, cuirass and galerus, all embossed with red metal designs of demons and monsters. Laura hated it. Everyone else wore standard brown leather and yet she was dressed in Hell’s own wardrobe. The last thing that she wanted to do was to stick out any more than necessary, especially if Carmilla and the others were there watching. They could never find out.

After binding her hands with black cloth strips, Laura picked up her helmet. Her helmet was unlike the other Thracian-style helmets. It was smaller but it still covered her entire head and face, save for the eyeholes. Forged of black steel and adorned with a blood red plume down the back and centre, it was a sight to behold. Laura thought that someone her height must look ridiculous in it.

“GLADIATRIX!” the announcer’s voice boomed. Laura shoved the helmet on and picked up her assigned swords. Unsurprisingly they were two black and red pattern-welded bladed gladii with black handles. Really someone was definitely going for a certain look with her.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped out onto the sand.

*

Danny hated to admit that she found watching the games thrilling. In fact, all of them did. LaF was on the edge of their seat, Perry was cheering for everyone and anyone, and even Carmilla would flinch at particularly bad hits. None of them really knew what to make of the deaths, so far only one of the Silas Gladiators had been killed. None of them had recognised him.

But now was the final fight. Danny and Carmilla both sat a little straighter as the tension in the arena became palpable. It hadn’t necessarily gone quiet, but there was a particular heaviness to the atmosphere now, as if everyone was waiting for something.

Or some _one_ apparently. As the name ‘Gladiatrix’ was called out, a gladiator decked entirely in black and red stepped forth from the Silas Gladiators side of the arena. From where they sat, they could see that this person was small. Toned and strong, but small. Carmilla couldn’t help but be reminded of the other Silas small gladiator; the one that died.

“Why is this one so special?” Perry wondered aloud.

“If movies are anything to go by, this must be the Lanista’s favourite gladiator.” LaF said, squinting at the figure. There was something nagging them about this one.

“So they must be close to the Dean?” Danny frowned. “Surely if we can talk to them and make them see that the Dean is evil then they could help us?”

“Doesn’t work that way Hippolyta. Gladiators form a bond as strong as family and they don’t tend to go against the people who have ultimate control over their lives. I’m afraid we’re on our own.” Carmilla said, attempting, and failing, to look bored at the whole situation.

“You seem to know a lot about this for someone who claimed to have not been involved in it.” Danny snapped back.

“You cannot be serious. Was I really the only one to look up anything about gladiators before coming here? You know, scope out the enemy?” Carmilla looked at the others in disbelief. What amateurs.

“Silas Gladiators present the gladiatrix!” the announcer’s voice brought everyone’s attention back to the arena. They watched as the gladiator raised both swords towards the box in salute. “Crassus the Defiler!”

A slight figure approached the other gladiator and Carmilla could tell that this was a vampire. She told the others who looked on in interest.

“Crassus shall fight for his freedom. His crime was attacking a mortal and stabbing her!” the crowd was a mixture of cheers and boos.

Carmilla sat frozen. What are the chances that a vampire who stabs a female student…?

“It’s him, isn’t it?” Danny said quietly. “He’s the one who hurt Laura.” Her voice was barely concealing her anger. And she wasn’t the only one. Carmilla was shaking with rage. This was the one who had hurt her Laura. Who had taken Laura away from her for those two torturous days.

“I’m going to kill him!” she growled, making a move to stand, only to be restrained by Danny and Perry.

“We can’t.” Perry insisted. “The Dean will kill us all if she notices us here. Stay here. For Laura.” At those words, Carmilla stilled. She hated to admit that Shirley Temple was right. But Laura was more important. Laura was always more important. “And you never know. This gladiatrix person could beat him.”

“A gladiatrix is a type of gladiator. Technically it’s a female gladiator…” Carmilla responded, trying to calm herself from seeing Crassus. “It looks like she fights with two gladii rather than a shield.”

The others nodded, eyes fixed on the two people in the arena. They hoped that this gladiatrix would put an end to this vampire who had hurt Laura so badly.

*

Laura was glad for many reasons that her helmet covered her face. Firstly, she was glad that Carmilla, Danny, Perry and LaFontaine couldn’t recognise her. Secondly, she was grateful that this vampire - Crassus was it? – couldn’t see how nervous she was about fighting him. He had nearly killed her less than a week ago. Granted she had already been badly wounded at the time, but still, she couldn’t really hope to keep up with a vampire’s speed. And she thought he was dead. Well, dead-er. She had seen him decapitated. It was an image that was seared into her mind. One doesn’t quite forget that. The third reason that Laura was glad for her helmet was that it blocked out a lot of the noise of the arena. Sure she could hear what the announcer was saying about her and she could see the way that Mammon smiled when it was revealed who this was. She saw the way Crassus smiled at her, eyes dark with a predatory gleam making them seem bright and fevered.

“Well hello pet.” He cooed at Laura, causing goosebumps to rise up her spine.

_Think Laura! What would Carm do? What would Domina do?_

The thought was strangely calming. Domina had seemed to so easily defeat Crassus. She had shown no fear… no fear. Laura’s brow furrowed as she thought, mind going a mile a minute. Fear is like pain. Fear is just a concept. She wasn’t scared of Crassus. She wasn’t scared of pain. So what was holding her back? Figure that out and she should be able to fight Crassus more equally.

“No one to save you now. You’re my way out. You’re dead Pet!” he struck in the blink of an eye, striking at Laura who just managed to raise her swords in defence. The crowd cheered as Crassus struck again, this time smacking the flat of his blade against Laura’s helmet, causing it to ring sharply in her ears. Before she could get her bearings, however, Crassus had shoved her, hard, with his shield, sending her flying back. She hit the sand awkwardly on her shoulder, one of her gladii slicing her bicep.

Pushing herself up, she saw Crassus meandering towards her, maniac smile gracing his features. Looking to the stands, she saw Carmilla, Danny, Perry and LaF all shouting, cheering. Were they cheering for her, or Crassus? She didn’t want to be seen as weak in front of anyone.

She froze. _She didn’t want to be seen as weak_. That was what was holding her back. She was strong. She always had been. She had to stop worrying about what the others thought. What everyone thought. In the arena, she was a gladiatrix. She was no longer the Laura Hollis that everyone thought that they knew so well.

Pushing herself to her feet, Laura raised both blades, ignoring the hot blood running down her arm, and ignoring the clamour of the crowd. Crassus had made her feel weak before and she’d be damned if she let it happen again.

“Little girly wants to play? Very well. I’ll show you how adults play games.” He snarled and lunged at Laura.

But she had been expecting it. Twisting out of the way of his blade, she let his own momentum propel him forward, turning on the ball of her foot as she did. In the same swift motion, she brought her gladius up, cutting straight through his arm. Laura hadn’t expected the spurt of blood as the detached hand fell to the sand, still clutching the sword.

Crassus screamed. Laura couldn’t tell if it was from pain or anger or both, but she didn’t for a moment drop her guard. And it was lucky she didn’t. Crassus swung his intact arm at Laura, attempting to hit her with the rim of his shield. Laura ducked under the shield and out of reflex brought her swords up in an ‘X’ straight through Crassus’ chest, one blade passing through his heart.

For a moment, Laura stared into the shocked eyes of the vampire. His mouth moved as if he were trying to form words, but couldn’t. Or maybe Laura just couldn’t hear it. She couldn’t seem to hear anything over the sound of her heartbeat, pounding furiously in her ears. Laura was uncomfortably aware of his blood running down her arms, mixing with her own as it did. It was no warmer than hers, and yet, it burned against her skin.

Crassus fell backwards, the swords sliding out of him as he did so, splattering Laura with his blood. Although she didn’t hear it, Laura could feel his body hit the sand with a reverberation that shook her entire body. She hadn’t meant to kill him. She didn’t want to kill anyone. Yes, he was a vampire, and yes, people said that the reason vampires were immortal was because they had no souls, but she knew that wasn’t true. Carmilla was a vampire and was so caring and considerate that there was no question as to whether or not she had a soul.

 _It could have been Carm_.

Laura stood there, swords still raised in the position where they had taken Crassus’ life. Slowly she became aware of the crowd, standing on their feet, cheering for her.

Laura raised her eyes to the box and saw Mammon smiling down at her. It was a smug smile, a smile that said that she knew that she had won. As Laura watched, Mammon stood, raising an arm for silence. The crowd acquiesced.

“I present to you, the Champion of Silas Gladiators; _Spartaca_!”

*

Carmilla had watched Spartaca with interest. She had seemed incompetent at first; Christ she had even fallen on her own sword. What a novice. But what had sparked the vampire’s interest was the sudden change in her demeanour. She had started nervously, fumbling as Crassus played games with her. And then she fought back, and damn, was she good. Carmilla wasn’t embarrassed to admit that she was impressed. The girl was fast, fast enough to compete with a vampire, fast enough to kill a vampire.

Carmilla was thrilled that this Spartaca had managed to kill Crassus, but she was also painfully aware of the fact that there was an accomplished vampire killer walking around Silas university campus, especially when her mother wanted nothing more than to kill her. She knew that she would have to tell Laura about everything that had happened, about how the vampire that hurt her didn’t die… It was strange. Laura had seemed adamant about the fact that he was dead. She had said that she had killed him. How could she have been wrong? Carmilla’s stomach lurched at the thought that Laura had lied to her. Why would she do that?

“Well, at least we won’t have to worry about him anymore…” LaF said uneasily. They were just as perturbed by the situation as Carmilla was, and there was still that nagging feeling bothering them. They were all too aware of the fact that they were missing something obvious and it was driving them insane not being able to figure it out. “But we should go, I feel like we’ve been here to long…”

The others agreed and slipped away one at a time as to not draw unwanted attention to themselves. And honestly they had seen enough of the games, enough death, enough cruelty. And everyone was on edge: they had to get rid of this Spartaca fast, before she got rid of them.

*

The canvas bag was ripped roughly off Laura’s head, causing her to blink around in confusion. The bag had been put over her head immediately after she had walked off the sands of the arena, her actions stilled by Domina’s voice murmured in her ear. “Do not resist Hollis.”

And so she hadn’t. She didn’t trust Domina, she would be a fool to do so, but after such a display in the arena, Laura didn’t think her life was in any danger just yet. There was no doubt that this would end in conflict, but Laura knew that she had to play her cards right. If she agreed to work for the Dean then appear to choose her over Carmilla (that thought didn’t sit well with the tiny blonde) then she might be able to get close enough to finally kill her. Maybe. She wouldn’t make the mistake of underestimating the Dean. Not this time.

As she looked around, Laura noticed that the room that she was in was excessively richly decorated; the walls painted a deep red, the ceiling painted pitch black, pierced only by a crystal candle chandelier that cast an eerie glow around the room. The furniture was a dark ebony with a gold finish and the desk that sat in the far side of the room was large with a bottle-green leather finish. Behind that desk sat a woman that Laura could have happily lived the rest of her life never seeing again.

The Dean was a cold faced woman, beautiful and regal with a strong jaw and nose and dark piercing eyes. And yet, her face was a void, lacking emotion most of the time. Anyone who met her wouldn’t be surprised how easily she could kill.

“Leave.” The Dean didn’t even look to Domina, but the other woman bowed slightly and exited the room without a word. The Dean cocked her head slightly at Laura. “Well, I see we finally meet again, Miss Hollis. I must say, I’m impressed that you, of all people, took up the brand. Tell me, what does Mircalla think of your little excursions?” a threatening smile spread across her face as she beheld Laura’s silence. “Just as I thought. She doesn’t know, does she?”

A slow blink alerted Laura that the Dean awaited an answer. “No ma’am.”

“Oh please, call me Lilita. Whilst we are in this together, I think if we were on first name terms, we would be better _acquainted_. Don’t you agree, _Laura_?”

“Yes, Lilita.” The name felt thick and heavy on her tongue. A deep feeling on unease settled in her chest.

“Good. Now, you may be wondering what I could possibly want with _you_ being my champion. If you weren’t the least incompetent of those lackwits, then you would be dead. And even now, I think I am being too generous in letting you live, especially after the last gift you gave me left a bit of a mark.” From behind the shawl she was wearing, Lilita pulled her arm, or at least what was left of it. Laura couldn’t help widening her eyes at the missing appendage. So apparently she had paid a hefty price in the pit.

The Dean watched her carefully as she observed the arm. Laura was stumped (no pun intended) at why she hadn’t been horrendously killed yet.

“Now that I see you understand how easy it would be for me to end your pathetic life, you shall be my champion. You shall bring the _Silas Galdiators_ ” she laughed as if it were a massive joke to her, “to glory. And if you need any more incentive to obey me, know that as long as you serve me, and me alone, then, for now, I shall let Mircalla and those cretins that you call friends live. Am I clear, _Laura_?”

“Crystal, Lilita.”

“Good. Now get out of my sight before I rip your throat out.”

Laura didn’t need to be told twice. She quickly exited and was confronted with Domina who shoved the sack back on her head, before she could get any indication of where she was. There was only one thought, however, that echoed through her mind:

_What have I done?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to thank everyone who has been so supportive of this story. You keep me inspired to write this and I hope that you enjoy each installment. As always, feel free to let me know what you thought of it.


	9. Lesson Number Eight: Survival of the Fittest

_Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away,_

_Now it looks as though they’re here to stay,_

_Oh I believe in yesterday._

Laura sang softly along with the Beatles that she had been listening to pretty much on repeat since her first fight. After spending the better half of the day holed up in the library the small blonde was glad to get back to her room. She continued humming as she let herself into her dorm, only to bump right into Carmilla. Smiling gently she removed an earphone.

“Hey Cupcake, still listening to the Beatles?” she raised an eyebrow. “Well, I guess it’s better than that month you listened to nothing but One Direction.” She smirked at the blonde who giggled in response.

“Hey, you love One Direction. I’ve heard you singing them in the shower-“

“Repeat that to anyone Sweetheart and I swear I’m gunna…”

Laura laughed again and leaned in to kiss Carmilla. She really was a big sap who couldn’t seriously threaten anyone anymore. Well, not out of their friends anyway. Carmilla moved to deepen the kiss but withdrew, groaning in frustration.

“Sorry, Laura, I’ve got a class I really wanna make. Epicurus’ divulgences, y’know?” Actually, Laura didn’t know, but after seeing the way Carmilla’s eyes would light up when she and Laura would talk about philosophy, the blonde made it her business to Wikipedia as much as she could about it.

Laura smiled, planting a chaste kiss on her girlfriend’s cheek instead. “Well, I’ll be here when you get back.”

Carmilla turned to grab a one of a few small leather-bound notebooks from her bed. Laura knew that the brunette liked to write her notes in them, alternating between German and English, depending on how quickly she was writing. She missed the small sad smile that crossed Carmilla’s features. The other girl hated how anxious she was whenever she left Laura alone. Honestly that girl would always get herself into trouble, no matter what. And that was part of why Carmilla liked her so much. Trouble always followed those who made the right decisions, not the easy decisions.

But she knew that Laura could look after herself, so Carmilla gave a lingering kiss to the blonde before rushing off to her class, leaving Laura grinning goofily in their room.

Laura stood there for a minute, lost in her own little bubble before dumping her bag on her bed and moving to sit at her desk. She had contemplated over the past few days of whether or not she should make videos again and she thought that, even if she didn’t make them public, it could be therapeutic to speak to someone about what was going on. Sure she would have to be really careful about not being overheard and she had to make sure that the others wouldn’t be able to find the videos. But Carmilla had just left and now was as good a time as any to start.

Turning on her camera, Laura paused for a moment, revelling in the comfort of the little red light that had helped her so much last semester.

“Greeting gentle viewers…” the familiar words slipped out in habit catching in her throat as they did. The words that once gave her hope and comfort now felt empty and false in her mouth. She wasn’t the same person she was last semester. It was just another harsh reminder of the price she was paying being the Dean’s- no _Lilita_ ’s- pet. Thinking of that made Laura relive the last few days all over again.

_The blonde was dropped off at the gym by Domina and Evans was already there to meet her with a hug, rejoicing in the fact that they had survived their first fight. The blonde couldn’t find it within herself to be happy at what she had done: she had killed and agreed to work for the Dean. She followed Evans into the building where she saw everyone waiting, some tending to their wounds (that reminded her – she should probably deal with her arm at some point), some were chatting with one another excitedly, and then there were the others who sat in silence, just staring. Taylor was amongst them, his eyes red and glassy, lost in a memory. Laura sat beside him. She didn’t want to talk to anyone really. There was one thought that circled her mind repeatedly, causing her to feel nauseous._

What have I done?

_A gentle grip on her bad arm caused Laura to flinch and look to the source of pain. Taylor was looking at the cut, eyes still distant but more focussed than they were before._

_“You should get this looked at…” he murmured. Laura shrugged, not really caring about a silly little cut at the moment. “We can’t have our champion” Laura flinched at the title “get sick from an infected cut.” He reached over to an open first aid kit and pulled out some antiseptic wipes and gauze pads. Opening the wipe he looked at Laura apologetically, “this will hurt.” But he started cleaning the wound nonetheless. They were both aware that an open wound left to fester could do more damage than the sting of an antiseptic wipe._

_Laura wasn’t sure if she was still numb from everything that had just happened or if Domina’s training had really paid off as she didn’t feel the sting as Taylor carefully wiped the drying blood from around the wound and the actual cut itself. It was deep, but Taylor produced some dissolvable stitches and quickly made work of sewing up her arm._

_Looking at him with an eyebrow raised caused the big blond to shrug. “I’m a pre-med” was all he said before applying the gauze pad and then bandaging it all up. “Don’t get it wet for a few days and then you should be fine.” She smiled in thanks but she couldn’t make it last longer than a few seconds._

_Taylor sighed and sat back into his seat. “I’ve never killed anyone before. Everything I’ve ever known has taught me how important all life is and now I’m a killer. It never seemed real before.” he ran a hand tiredly over his face, as if he were trying to collect his thoughts._

_“I don’t think a lot of people really realised what it was we were doing when we signed up,” Laura said slowly, not wanting to say the wrong thing, but wanting to get her feelings across. “You’re right. All life is valuable. I don’t know about you, but I’m not giving up.” She lowered her voice. She hoped that she could trust Taylor. “I won’t let_ them _win. I won’t go down without a fight. I don’t want people to die-“_

_“How can you say that when you’re the champion of this family?” the last word came out as a humourless chuckle._

_“I didn’t choose to be champion. She only made me that so that I would be right under her nose. So she could monitor me and use me to get back at my friends. I won’t let her win!” saying it out loud made Laura feel better about the whole situation._

_“She? Who’s she? Domina?”_

_“No. Lilita Morgan.”_

_Taylor drew back, wide eyes looking around them for eavesdroppers. He leaned forward, voice dropping to a whisper. “The_ Dean _? She’s the lanista? Shit. What are we going to do Hollis?” Laura looked at him sceptically, wondering if she had already said too much. “I’m with you. If you’re going to put an end to this then I’m with you.”_

_Laura was touched by his words but didn’t know if she could trust him just yet. “I don’t know yet. I need to think more.”_

_“Of course, but you know what they say, cut the head off a snake and you kill its body.” He raised his eyebrows before leaning back, the distant look in his eyes long gone, replaced with valiant purpose._

_“You mean kill her?” Taylor shrugged but Laura’s mind was going a mile a minute. Being the champion meant that she was close to the Dean. If she could let her think that she was really into this whole fighting thing then maybe she would drop her guard just enough for her to strike. But she couldn’t do it alone. She had Taylor, and then maybe Carmilla and the others could take enough attention off her as well. She might actually be able to do this if she played her cards right._

_“So you lot survived.”  Domina walked into the gym, for once looking more amused than anything. No one had refused to kill and they had survived. Maybe there was hope for them. “Congratulations are in order, one would think.” She gestured to the tall brunette boy who Laura now knew was called Parker who walked in with a large cardboard box in his hands. “Needless to say that this cannot be spoken of, but the guise of a class is not all you shall use. This is also the Alpha Society now.”_

_Parker opened the box and pulled forth a red and yellow piece of clothing that Laura realised was actually a varsity jacket, red chested with yellow sleeves – the official colours of Silas University. God, it was like the Dean wanted her to suffer by continuously telling lies to the others._

_Domina pulled a jacket from the box and tossed it to Laura. The first thing she realised was that it was good quality. Of course it was – they were buying their silence. And for now, they would get silence. Laura held the jacket up and saw on the back_

HOLLIS

01

_The blonde resisted rolling her eyes. Subtlety seemed to be an issue here. When she turned the jacket around she saw a large Greek letter Alpha before a trident. Typical. She folded the jacket over her arm; she wasn’t going to put it on when she needed to shower so badly. She’d put it on later, let Domina and Lilita see her parading it around. Let them think that she’s excited about being the champion._

*

_The others were back in her dorm by the time Laura got back to her room. She walked in on them sitting quietly around the room, apparently her presence startling them from what was very probably an awkward silence._

_Carmilla stood and was before Laura, wrapping her arms around her in the blink of an eye. She pulled back quickly though, eyebrows furrowing in concern._

_“Cupcake, you smell like blood.” Instantly the others were on high alert._

_“Oh right, well, I may or may not have scratched at the scab on my side and it bled a little. Nothing a band aid couldn’t fix.” She felt Carmilla relax as she laughed her injury off. She couldn’t tell them about her cut, it was too obvious and easy to recognise._

_“Jesus L, you’re getting worse than me.” LaFontaine laughed, easing yet more tension in the room. Laura forced a laugh – they were sounding more and more real each time._

_“Yeah yeah, I know. I forgot how itchy healing things are…” she smiled at Carmilla whose hand found hers and she gave it a reassuring squeeze. “So? Are you going to leave me hanging? How was it?”_

_Laura didn’t really know what to expect, maybe for some excitement but everyone didn’t meet her eyes, and for a horrible moment, Laura forgot why. It was Carmilla who spoke up, pulling Laura gently to her bed and sitting beside her._

_“Laura, there’s something we have to tell you. The vampire who hurt you, he wasn’t dead, he was there.” Everyone was silent as they watched the blonde. Reality crashed down on her and she began to shake at the memory of how hot his blood had been, at how it had felt to pierce him with her swords. For a moment she was back in the arena, staring into his shocked eyes. They had been a pale grey with hazel flecks. She remembered the way that they looked when he was amused, angry, scared of finally dying..._

_“Laura!” Laura blinked at the others who were watching her closely._

_“Sorry. I’m alright.” She released a very shaky breath. “What happened?”_

_Danny spoke up as Carmilla ran her free hand through Laura’s hair in comfort. “Well, it was the last fight, and it was the Silas Champion against a vampire who was fighting for his freedom because he had hurt a student. But he didn’t stand a chance cause the Silas Champion, Spartaca, totalled him-“_

_“Yeah she seemed kinda weak at first but she turned it around and took care of him for us, which allows us to deal with a slightly larger problem…” LaF finished._

_“Larger problem?” Laura all but squeaked out._

_“The Dean.” Perry said. “She’s not dead, as it turns out, and she seems to be running this gladiator thing. And she now seems to have some very accomplished killers at her disposal just walking around campus.”_

_“Killers?” Laura said quietly._

_Carmilla squeezed her hand. “Normally we wouldn’t get involved with humans, but these are killers capable of killing vampires. We can’t chance it.”_

_“So we need to take them out.” Danny finished and Laura felt like she was going to throw up. Her friends were talking about killing_ her _._

_“But there is good news.” Carmilla said, her thumb brushing across the back of Laura’s hand. “Mammon is not quite whole.” Laura frowned, trying to block the image of the half-arm from her mind. How many more people did she have to hurt?_

_“And by that, she means that she’s missing an arm.” LaF finished. The others all looked to Laura for a response, only to be greeted with a very pale looking girl. “Hey Laura, you ok? You seem a little pale…”_

_Carmilla brought her hand down to her cheek and brought Laura’s eyes to her own, searching them for something. “I won’t let anything happen to you Cupcake.”_

_Oddly enough those were the words she needed. More protection. Something she probably needed but didn’t want. “And I will do everything I can to make sure that nothing happens to you. Any of you.”_

Laura blinked and realised that she had been staring off into space whilst the camera had been recording. Looking at the time, she realised she had spent a good eight minutes just thinking about it all. Finally turning back to the camera, she found herself at a loss for words, for one of the first times ever, especially in front of a camera.

“I guess I should start at the beginning…”

*

When Carmilla got back to the room, she found Laura sitting at her desk, furiously scribbling notes down. She would never admit out loud that she actually missed the blonde’s silly little reports that she would record. And she was wearing that new jacket of hers. From the Alpha Society, whatever that was. Laura said that she and that tall blonde boy had joined it together. Something about co-ed societies promoting justice. The brunette shook her head. It sounded like something Laura would join. For the greater good and whatnot. But the jacket looked good on her, just a bit too big on her small frame, the sleeves coming halfway over her hands. Laura looked adorable in it.

“Hey Cupcake, what are you up to? Trying to write fast enough to create fire?” she smirked as Laura spun round in her seat, a vivid reminder of last semester.

“Carm! God you scared me.” The blonde didn’t sound angry though, and Carmilla could see her trying not to smile.

“Oh? Doing something you shouldn’t be?” she asked lowly, raising an eyebrow for emphasis. If she had been hoping for a blush she would have been disappointed.

Laura rolled her eyes with a chuckle. “You’re-“

“Irresistible? Seductive? Ravishing?”

“Insatiable. And all of the above.”

“Insatiable huh? Well, that’s a matter of perspective…”

“One that I’m pretty sure about.”

Carmilla laughed, walking up behind Laura and wrapping her arms around her. She leant down and placed a gentle kiss to Laura’s jaw, her eyes flitting quickly to the blonde’s notes. She stopped her ministrations as she quickly read over Laura’s notes on Epicurus. The brunette found herself more shocked by Laura in the time that they had spent together than she had been her in her entire time of being a vampire. How the blonde saw her as anything more than a monster would forever be beyond her but she couldn’t help but fall even more for the blonde with each passing day.

“Watcha doing?”

“Oh you know, reading up about Epicurus and his ideologies. I mean, I have to say that I like his way of thinking, even if it is a little idealistic.” Carmilla grinned and spun Laura’s chair around so that they were facing one another again. Laura raised an eyebrow at her girlfriend’s actions and was about to question it when Carmilla leant down and kissed her hungrily. Laura, never one to turn down a kiss from her gorgeous girlfriend, responded just as eagerly. She tilted her head slightly, sucking lightly on Carmilla’s lower lip, making the other girl moan lowly in her throat. The brunette responded by nibbling on Laura’s lip, pulling it between her own teeth. Carmilla’s hands rested on the blonde’s hip and neck, the hand on her hip ghosting over Laura’s increasingly warm skin as she moved it up slowly as Laura stood, not wanting to break the contact between them.

The brunette’s fingers brushed against the bare skin of Laura’s stomach, setting a fire alight within the blonde. The smaller girl pushed Carmilla back until the back of her legs hit Laura’s bed forcing her to sit. Shedding her jacket and dropping it unceremoniously to the floor, Laura straddled Carmilla pushing her back down until her back hit the mattress. Holding herself up with one arm, Laura gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her porcelain face, marvelling in her beauty. She would personally make sure nothing bad would happen to Carmilla ever.

“You’re so beautiful.” Laura murmured, causing Carmilla’s eyes to widen. Yeah, Laura would always surprise her. Leaning up, she connected their lips again, eagerly taking in the addictive taste of Laura. Her hands moved further up Laura’s top until they brushed against the dressing of Laura’s wound, instantly stilling all movements.

Carmilla pulled away, causing Laura to sit up, still straddling the brunette. She cocked her head in a silent question as to why Carmilla stopped.

“I don’t want to go too far whilst you’re still recovering.”

Laura opened her mouth to argue with her but stopped herself. Carmilla was right. She probably could continue, but her arm might be a bit of a turn off it the brunette saw it. She leant down and gave her girlfriend one last lingering kiss before rolling onto her side and wrapping an arm around Carmilla’s torso.

“Fine, but you can’t get rid of me that easily.”

Carmilla smirked. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Creampuff.”

*

_If you should ever leave me,_

_Though life would still go on believe me,_

_The world could show nothing to me,_

_So what good would living do me?_

_God only knows what I’d be without you_

Laura tapped her fingers against the straps of her backpack in time with the music as she made her way from her journalism class to the café where she was meeting Danny, Carmilla, LaF and Perry to try and figure out what their next move was. Sure, going to a café was probably more risky than staying in the dorm room, but Laura had insisted that if they looked like regular students just meeting for coffee then they were more likely to be ignored. The others had somehow seen method to her madness and had agreed.

But as Laura approached where the café was, she saw her friends waiting in the quad. Well, as she got closer she saw that they weren’t waiting, they were talking to someone. A tall boy with brown hair.

Laura frowned and squinted at the boy. Was that Parker? What was he doing talking to her friends? A surge of panic rushed through Laura. What if he were telling them that she was Spartaca? She had never spoken to Parker but he had been top of the class and yet she was chosen as Champion. Surely that would mean some bad feelings between them. Honestly though, Laura would have much preferred to have not been chosen as Champion.

Quickening her pace, Laura saw Kirsch pointing his finger angrily at Parker. He was gesturing at Danny and Carmilla as he did so.

“-so man up!” Laura heard as she came into earshot. Damn, Kirsch sounded angry.

But Laura had always been wary of Parker. He was quiet in the class, opting not to make friends or even talk with anyone. But he was strong and Laura didn’t want Kirsch or anyone else getting hurt by him.

Parker laughed, reminding Laura of Crassus. His voice was smooth and refined, causing a chill to run up Laura’s back. “You have no idea how much of a man I am compared to maggots like you.”

Laura frowned. Yes, Parker was her “brother” but these were her friends and she’d be damned if anyone insulted them on her watch. And technically Parker was below her. She was champion and he should answer to her.

Approaching the commotion, which by now had garnered quite a bit of attention from people around them, Laura dropped her backpack and adjusted her jacket.

“What’s going on?” she asked, causing her friends to turn to her in surprise. Parker, on the other hand, didn’t even turn to face her. Rude.

Kirsch all but growled. “This bozo bumped into D-Bear and Carmilla and refused to apologise, saying how he was above us. I mean that’s just bad manners.” Kirsch looked to Laura in exasperation, waving his arms from Carmilla and Danny to Parker, trying to show that he was in the right.

“But I wouldn’t expect a little bitch like you to understand.” Parker said, turning to Laura, his words causing the others to bristle. But Laura wasn’t concerned. She was more amused by the look of shock that passed through Parker’s eyes as he realised who he was talking to.

Laura raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Oh really?” she took a step towards Parker who almost stumbled backwards. They were both aware that if Domina saw them even on the verge of fighting outside of training then they would probably be killed. After all, Lesson Number Four: Family Matters.

Carmilla watched in awed confusion as this toddler who had been so sure of himself stumbled back from her Cupcake. She had meant it all those months ago when she said that Laura’s scrunched up angry face was adorable. And yet, here was a guy over a foot taller than Laura almost tripping over his feet to get away from her. What was that all about? She caught the Ginger Giant’s eyes who was also just as shocked and she shrugged, mouth open in amazement.

“Look, I’m leaving alright!” The brunette boy said in exasperation, turning to leave as he did.

He stopped, however, as a small strong hand on his wrist stopped him. He turned back to Laura who was looking at him with a calm expression and stormy eyes.

“You still owe my girlfriend and my friend an apology.” She said, eyes challenging Parker to try to continue walking away.

Parker’s eyes widened slightly at the realisation that these people were her friends and that he had insulted her girlfriend. For all his arrogance, he wasn’t an idiot.

Swallowing his pride he turned to the angry looking brunette and the seriously tall redhead.

“My sincerest apologies. It won’t happen again.” Turning his eyes to Laura, she released his wrist and he slunk off. Laura knew that he would try and make her pay for that later. Key word: try.

Laura was brought out of her thoughts by a pair of arms wrapping around her waist.

“My knight in shining armour.” Carmilla’s voice husked amusedly in her ear. “Remind me to not piss you off anytime soon, Sweetheart.” She turned in her girlfriend’s arms and gave her a quick peck on the lips before going over to grab her bag from where she had dropped it.

“So Laura when do you become so scary?” Kirsch laughed causing Laura to smile. Oh, he had _no idea_.

Laura shrugged. “I don’t like people being mean to my friends. And I did do Krav Maga for like ten years.”

“Jesus L, you’re a secret badass.” LaF laughed, causing the others to chuckle at how the adorable girl could actually be a badass. Laura laughed along with her friends, again finding amusement in how little the others knew.

She walked back over to Carmilla, linking hands with the brunette and entwining their fingers. “As much as I love to hear how great I am, I’ve just sat through a three hour lecture and would love some caffeine…” she started off in the direction of the café, dragging a grinning Carmilla along with her.

Perry, LaF, Danny and Kirsch all exchanged a look and followed the two, chuckling at Laura’s antics as they did so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient, this one took a little longer to get out. As always, let me know what you thought and if you want feel free to find me on tumblr: warrioroftheice. Hopefully I'll be updating more regularly from now.


	10. Lesson Number Nine: Tourner Dans Le Vide

Laura threw herself over the spear aimed towards her stomach and hit the sand, rolling to cushion the blow and to keep herself moving. She was confident in her abilities when she faced one opponent, but facing three at the same time was a little more tricky. As she came out of the roll back to her feet, she swept her gladius up, deflecting the jab of another spear. Spinning down the shaft of the spear, she brought both swords slashing down on said spear, splintering the wood and causing that opponent to stagger backwards.

Again the clamour of the arena was drowned out by her pounding heartbeat, loudly echoing in her ears. She did hear the throaty shouts of the gladiators coming up behind her, both with their spears raised, ready to impale her in the back. Acting on impulse, Laura dropped to her knees, spinning as she did so and rolled, all the while repositioning both gladii to a backhand position. As she rolled through the two Velites she brought her blades through both opponents Achilles heels, causing both gladiators to scream in agony and fall to the sands.

Laura pushed herself to her feet from the roll and turned to observe her opponents. She had effectively crippled the other two gladiators, one of which was slowly crawling towards where he had dropped his spear. The blonde turned her eyes to the final fighter. Standing on the other side of his fallen brothers, gladius in one hand with his broken spear in the other. He eyed her warily, waiting for her to make the first move. Normally she wouldn’t be the first to attack, but she was getting impatient. She was aware that she hadn’t killed the other two and that if they were properly disciplined then they would get back up and fight; after all, pain is just a concept of the mind.

Laura briefly contemplated when she had become so callous. In the arena, she was no longer Laura Hollis, she was Spartaca, Champion of the Silas Gladiators. And especially recently when she had decided to get as close to Lilita as possible, she had to play the part. She had to let Mammon see that she was invested in this, and give her a reason to believe that she was as well. After all, Domina had ingrained the phrase ‘kill or be killed’ into each gladiator’s mind. And it hadn’t been hard after watching that guy die in the first games. She didn’t want to kill anyone, but she knew that if she had to kill a few people in order save many more from this fate then she would. Doing the right thing was never easy. It always came with a price. If she had to become a monster then she would. She wouldn’t wish this fate upon anyone and, with the support of Taylor, she knew that she could accomplish it, if she was smart about doing so.

The opponent moved faster than Laura had given him credit for as he dropped the half-spear and picked up one of the dropped spears of the others. As his plan became clear to the blonde, he threw the spear full-force towards her. Laura ducked to the side, feeling the blade brush against her cuirass, embedding itself into the sand where she had been stood not a moment before. It was a good shot, Laura would give him that. Not good enough though.

As he fumbled to pick up the half-spear, Laura ran at him. One of the Velites had managed to pull himself up onto his hands and knees, allowing Laura the perfect opportunity to use his back as a launch pad, projecting herself into the air towards the now gaping gladiator. As she was mid-air, Laura brought both swords up, ready to deal a strong downward blow towards her opponent. It was a risky move, one Laura would never have used if she felt like her opponent was a threat. But this was entertainment. She wanted to show off, catch Lilita’s eye even more, prove herself to be a worthy member of the Family.

The Velites brought his half-spear and sword up as if to pierce Laura’s now very exposed mid-section, but the blonde had planned for that. Turning as she was about to strike him, Laura swerved her body to kick the Velites, sending him flying off his feet by the force of her momentum. She landed hard on her back, the breath being knocked from her, but she had learnt to not dwell on pain or breathlessness as she pushed herself up, ignoring the spots dancing at the edge of her vision.

She could see that she had done some damage as the Velites pushed himself to his feet, grabbing his weapons as he did so. He favoured his ribs and Laura supposed that she had cracked at least one or two with the force of her kick. Realising how futile his situation was, he sprinted at Laura, feigning left and then attacking right, catching Laura’s shoulder with his spear, raggedly dragging it shallowly through the flesh. Gritting her teeth, Laura spun, trapping his gladius between her torso and arm and bringing him close. Without a second thought, Laura brought her blade through his neck, spinning back out of the way from the spurt of blood.

The guy spluttered and Laura saw the blood dripping through the breathing holes in his helmet, indicating that she had completely severed his windpipe and was causing him to drown in his own blood. Even as Spartaca, Laura wanted to vomit. She didn’t want to kill anyone, even less make them suffer.

_Kill or be killed._

She turned from him just as he slumped to the blood-drenched sand. Looking over to the other Velites, Laura saw that they were unable to fight her further. Maybe she wouldn’t have to kill them?

Laura looked to the stands and saw her friends there, watching her coldly, calculating her every movement. Perry was looking away making wild hand gestures at LaF who hadn’t taken their eyes off Laura and Danny had turned to Kirsch, unable to look at the brutal scene before her. Carmilla was leaning forward and staring so intently at Laura that the blonde was worried that she had recognised the scent of her blood. She briefly wondered what her girlfriend would think when she realised that Laura was now the monster in the relationship.

But the blonde couldn’t dwell on that. Tearing her eyes from her friends, Laura looked to Mammon. Lilita was sat forward, eyes bright with mirth and bloodlust. As her heartbeat slowed slightly from the raging storm that it had been, Laura became aware of what the crowd was chanting. _Kill, kill, kill_. Their bloodlust hadn’t been quenched yet and Laura realised with dread that she was going to have to kill again. Staring up at Lilita, Laura waited.

Lilita Morgan looked around the unanimously chanting crowd, eyes ablaze with victory as she took in the scene before her. Her little puppet. Raising her arm – her only arm – she pointed her hand with her thumb facing down, causing the crowd to go wild. Swallowing past her revulsion, Laura walked to where the other two were now knelt.

“Requiescat in pace.” Laura mumbled, bringing both gladii up, she sliced through both opponents throats.

*

Laura lounged back in the old leather armchair, swirling her drink as the slightly unnerving sounds of Verdi’s _Nabucco_ filtered throughout the room. Unsurprisingly, Lilita had requested her presence almost immediately after the fight, and Laura couldn’t be happier. Any excuse to get close to the other woman was welcome now. At least this time, Laura had had time to shower beforehand so she wasn’t a bloody sweaty mess. It gave her the illusion of confidence. Mammon didn’t have to know that the minute she got off the sand she threw up as Taylor held her hair back.

Being served grape soda in a martini glass was a new one too, but Laura really didn’t want to question how the Dean knew she liked it. And no doubt the older woman wanted to question her more about why she was a gladiator, questions Laura had been planning the answers to.

“Now, my little Champion,” she said, raising the martini glass filled with blood to her lips and taking a delicate sip, “I want to know more about you. Why the girl who came closest to killing me in all my years now fights under my name. Tell me, why haven’t you told your little friends about who you are? What you are? They watch you, you know, every fight, wishing for your death.”

Laura sighed. “I want to prove to them that I’m not some little girl that always needs saving.” _Well, all good lies stem from the truth._ “I mean, I can’t even go to lectures without someone saying ‘oh Laura, are you alright to go there on your own?’. It’s frustrating and humiliating and no matter what I say to them they never seem to see past my height.” She scoffed. “Ironic.”

Mammon laughed, truly laughed, for once not sending shivers down Laura’s spine. “Oh my dear, can’t you see? You are nothing more than a mascot to them.” Laura’s jaw clenched at how strongly the words hit home. “Did they invite you to come and watch the games or did they tell you that you shouldn’t? That’s the difference between them and I. Yes, when I saw you again I wanted to rip out your throat and watch you drown in your own blood. But you fight well. You alone have earned me enough gold to purchase Silas twice over. I see now that you are a natural fighter. A born champion. And I have learnt to not underestimate you again. Not like my traitorous daughter and your lackwit friends.” Laura frowned. “I see that you still hold them in high regard. Understandable. But know that you are always welcome here, as a person, not as a mascot.” Lilita smiled sweetly at Laura and the blonde nearly found herself falling for her words. Nearly.

“But surely being your champion is like being your mascot?” Laura couldn’t give in too easily. She had to let Mammon think that her mind games were working.

Lilita laughed. “Of course not. Is the captain of a team their mascot? No. You are, so to speak, my best player. I have a good team, but I have the best champion. Today you fought three champions from separate lanistas and defeated them quickly. You are drawing attention to yourself and soon the best of the best will want to fight you and prove themselves.”

_Not the most comforting thought_ , Laura thought as she tried to not let it show. Part of her worried that she would have to keep fighting and killing, but the dark side of her mind was thrilled that people found her so tough. So intimidating. She let a smirk slide onto her face, ducking her head as if to hide it.

“I see.”

“Is that going to be a problem?” Laura instantly picked up on the edge to her words.

“Not at all. Just planning ahead.” Upon seeing Lilita’s raised eyebrows the blonde continued. “Well, I may have to start making excuses as to why I won’t ever go, on the off chance that they do ask me. Luckily, these jackets,” Laura motioned to the varsity jacket that she wore, “have given me an excuse. Y’know joining a society and all.”

“Ah yes. Certain precautions have been put into effect just in case someone, anyone, decided to look into The Alpha Society. No doubt you shall be running for _president_ next year for the society?”

A dark smile graced Laura’s features. So the Dean didn’t plan to kill her off. That was good. “Of course. It would be an honour.”

“Fantastic. Now, I want to know what your little friends thought of Spartaca. I see the way they look at you, the hatred that they feel towards you. They want you dead.” Laura was not oblivious to the twisted excitement that Mammon was expressing. Clearly the older woman wanted Laura to suffer, but the blonde already knew that her friends hated Spartaca. Hated her.

“Yes. They plan to get rid of me before taking you on.”

The news seemed to shock Lilita, as if she hadn’t actually expected Laura to answer so honestly. It all played into the blonde’s hands however as the Dean leant forward in her seat, eyes gleaming with triumphant joy. She laughed then. “Of course they do. Carmilla has always been a romantic at heart, ask anyone. And should they succeed, then their efforts shall double against me, believing that I was the one to kill you.”

“I won’t go down that easily.”

“I should hope not. I have a lot of money invested in you. But alas, now that we have discussed the pleasantries, we have to talk about your little friends.” Laura’s blood ran cold. She thought that if she was here, fighting, doing this, that they would be left alone? But then, she was giving off the appearance of falling into Mammon’s mind tricks. “I know we agreed on a… contract of sorts, you fight for me and I let them live, but they are meddling and I have learnt from my mistake last semester. I don’t want them getting in my way.”

_Think, Laura, think!_

“Understandable. No threat to the Family is tolerated. But… actually this is brilliant!” her loud exclamation seemed to shock the Dean, whose eyes widened. “I can be their researcher. It would give me an excuse not to go to the games and then I can send them in the wrong direction. After all, it would look like you are a few steps ahead of them and then they will think you’re being like super smart and then they would never suspect me. At all.” _Nailed it_.

Lilita looked at Laura long and hard for a good minute before throwing her head back, laughing heartily. “My word, you are smart. Especially for such a little thing. I think that is a wonderful idea.”

“I haven’t heard you laugh like that in a long time, mother.” A voice behind Laura said, causing both women to turn to find its source. A gorgeous woman stood by the doors, clad in all black, the only colour coming from her blood red lips. Her dark eyes were filled with amusement until they locked onto Laura, instead filling with an unbridled rage.

“Matska, darling. What on earth are you doing here? You should have called ahead.” Lilita stood, her good arm opening towards her daughter in a welcoming gesture, one Laura wouldn’t have believed that Lilita was capable of making.

“Well, I wanted to surprise you, but you entertaining this _enfant_ has completely baffled me. Why is she alive? She is the one who tried to kill you, is she not?” she stepped towards Laura and the blonde was painfully aware of how sharp her nails seemed all of a sudden.

“Assez! Elle vit pour une raison. Elle est la clé de tout…” the rest of the French was lost to Laura who could only speak it disjointedly. Lilita’s words though did seem to placate this Matska who turned back to Laura with a predatory gleam in her eyes. Laura wondered what she meant when she said that she was the key to everything.

“So, you’re the one Carmilla has chosen over her own family? I have to say I expected you to be a little more… well, just more.” Laura bristled at the insult. “But she always did like to play with things.” She turned to the Dean. “Do you remember that poet that she was infatuated with?” Mammon smiled, although it did seem a little forced. “She made quick work of him once she was bored with him. I expect she’ll do the same with you. Especially when she realises that you aren’t… _all that_.” Matska turned from Laura, laughing as she did so.

_Well, that was a confidence booster_ , the blonde thought angrily. There was no way she could ask Carmilla about this without revealing that she had met Matska.

The Dean gave Laura a last hard look. “You may go.” Laura turned to leave but Lilita’s voice stopped her in her tracks. “And remember, you are _always_ welcome here.”

Laura left the room, leaving mother and daughter to reunite. Laura had taken every advantage that she had to survey the woman and her possible weaknesses and the blonde felt confident that she had found one. The Dean’s blood stash was kept in a refrigerated vault that only she and Domina had access to by the look of it. If she could find a way into it then she was sure she could take out Lilita Morgan.

*

Carmilla entered the dorm from an early lecture and struggled to not laugh out loud. Laura sat upside down with her legs up the wall, and her nose in a book. Turning her head slightly, Carmilla saw that it was _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_. She smiled warmly at the small blonde girl.

Upon hearing the door close, Laura’s eyes flitted to her girlfriend who was smiling at her. She was aware that she wasn’t in the most normal of positions at the moment but the fight the other day had done a number on her back and sitting like this was actually quite comfortable.

“You know, I’m not even going to ask.” The brunette laughed as she deposited her bag on her bed before turning back to Laura. The blonde had marked her page was watching Carmilla carefully.

The brunette had noticed in the past few days Laura had been looking at her oddly, as if she expected her to bolt at any time. She wasn’t sure why Laura was suddenly looking at her like this but Carmilla knew that she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Instead she decided to show Laura how she felt by leaning down and connecting their lips. Laura’s hands went to Carmilla’s hair, keeping her close. It was a little awkward but they both ended up ruining it by smiling into each other’s lips. Laura giggled, her thumbs ghosting over Carmilla’s cheekbones. The brunette’s eyelids fluttered at the warmth of Laura’s gesture.

“How was class?” Laura asked, enjoying the effect that she was having on the brunette.

A small smirk appeared on Carmilla’s face as she opened her eyes to look at the smaller girl. “Oh you know, nothing the two of us haven’t discussed.”

“Ah, that good?” Carmilla straightened and Laura pushed herself up into a slightly more normal position, wincing slightly as her battered body stretched uncomfortably. Unfortunately it didn’t go unnoticed by the vampire.

“Does your side still hurt?” she asked worriedly, all the while keeping her distance. She knew Laura hated to be treated like she was weak.

Surprisingly, Laura smiled. “No, I just slept funny. It’s probably a kink I need to sort out.” Carmilla raised an eyebrow but said no more. She liked to think that Laura would tell her if there was something wrong.

“So, the fifth book?” the brunette said, picking up the slightly battered copy of _The Order of the Phoenix_ and turning it gently in her hands. “Where the darkness spreads I guess.”

“Wait! _You’ve_ read Harry Potter?” Laura had never even considered that her centuries old vampire girlfriend he any interest in pop culture.

“Seriously? I didn’t live under a rock for my entire life.” Laura raised her eyebrows. “Ok fine I did for like fifty years, but recently I do keep an ear out for popular books. Why are you so surprised by that, Cupcake?”

“I dunno. You always seem to be more of a Lovecraft kinda girl.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment, Sweetheart. You know, for a budding journalist you can be quite dense sometimes.” Laura laughed and stood, pecking Carmilla on the cheek as she did so. “So what does my little Gryffindor have planned for today?”

“How did you know I was a Gryffindor?” Carmilla sent a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk her way as an answer. “Alright fine. Um, I was thinking about going to the gym later with Danny and Kirsch.” Upon seeing Carmilla’s worried expression she hastily added, “I won’t be doing too much, just getting back into the swing of things. In the long run I’m sure it will be worth your while.”

Carmilla nearly choked on her mouthful of blood. Swallowing it she turned to the mischievously grinning blonde.

“You’re killing me, Hollis.”

Laura laughed. “Yeah, but you’ll get me back.”

Carmilla laughed too. “You know it, Creampuff.”

*

Danny had been hesitant at Laura going to the gym but Kirsch had talked her into giving Laura a chance. She knew the blonde was strong but she didn’t want her to aggravate any injuries. Still, Kirsch could be surprisingly persuasive and, as it turns out, Carmilla was joining them, something which the redhead couldn’t wait to see.

*

Laura punched the bag again, trying to aim at different spots with each hit. Danny, Kirsch and Carmilla were in a yoga class that Laura had managed to avoid by the fact that it was overbooked. She was a little annoyed that she wouldn’t see Carmilla doing yoga. That just didn’t seem right to her. Instead, she worked out all of her current frustrations on the punch bag before her.

_Damn the Dean and her mind games._

_Damn Matska and her annoyingly accurate observations._

_Damn the arena and the strength it gave her._

_Damn herself for not hating it anymore_.

Laura spun on the ball of her foot and lashed out with a powerful back kick, sending the bag rocking wildly. Turning back to it, she steadied it with her hands before starting on the basic hits again. It was actually really relieving hitting the punch bag in the style of Krav Maga. It was all muscle memory from years of practice. She could let her mind go blank from everything that was happening. She could temporarily forget the contract with the Dean, Crassus, Matska, the arena, Domina, the person she was becoming.

_Temporarily_ , however, seemed to be the optimum word as images leaked though her mind. Mammon’s triumphant smile - _hit_ -, Matska’s mocking one - _kick_ -, Crassus’ wide fearful eyes as she stabbed him – _hit_ , _kick_ , _knee_ -.

With each image, each hit became harder. Laura hadn’t even noticed the others coming in.

As Crassus’ eyes stuck in her mind, Laura delivered a final spinning, jumping kick to the punch bag, hitting the bag squarely and sending it flying from its hook, crashing to the floor.

Laura straightened her back, pushing her shoulders back as she observed the fallen bag. It had been quite a while since she had been that stressed to knock it from its hook. Brushing the stray hairs back from her face, she turned to where she was now aware the others stood.

Carmilla’s jaw had dropped at the display. She knew Laura was strong but she had never seen the small girl workout before. She had just kicked a punch bag from its hook. Now she really understood why Laura hated to be called weak. That girl was anything but weak. Clearly. The brunette looked to the Ginger Giant and the Beefcake to see them with almost the exact same expressions as her.

Laura smiled sheepishly at her friends before looking back at the bag.

“Oops.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, let me know what you thought and feel free to find me on tumblr and ask any questions you have  
> tumblr: warrioroftheice


	11. Lesson Number Ten: All Good Things Take Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get complicated as the gang struggles to come to an agreement.

Laura sat slouched on her bed, deeply absorbed in _Dracula_ which she needed to read for her English Lit. course this semester. Honestly, she found it ironic how her life pretty much revolved around vampires now when less than half a year ago she didn’t even believe in them. As she continued to get lost in Lucy Wenstenra’s growing ailments, Carmilla walked in and flopped down on her bed, huffing quietly to herself as she did so.

“Bad day at the office, Honey?” Laura asked, bringing her eyes from the book and watching her girlfriend.

Carmilla tried not to smile at Laura but the other girl made it so hard sometimes. From one silly little question Laura had managed to cheer the brunette up greatly.

“Ugh, it’s just I get so frustrated at the… the children who try to teach me incorrect knowledge!” her voice rose as she finished her sentence. “I sat through two hours of some old fart lecturing me on what influenced Émile Durkheim to think the way he did. And he got it wrong. I mean I _knew_ David and how posterity troubled him. I mean at first I didn’t get it when he told me, but as each era passes, I see how little the world means to new generations.” Carmilla sighed and ran a hand across her face. “Sorry Cupcake, I-“

“Needed to vent I get it. We’re all entitled to it once in a while. And you most of all. You’ve lived through this stuff and for someone to be telling you that you’re wrong when you’re the one who’s right would be infuriating. And it serves to show that societies can’t maintain their integrity and coherence in modernity.”

Carmilla stared at the blonde for a long moment. “One day, you’re going to tell me how you know so much about philosophy. What are you reading anyway?” Laura flashed the cover of her book to the brunette and Carmilla smirked. “Seriously? That drama queen? I can think of one vampire who’s more interesting than him.”

“Oh really. Who? Is it someone I know?” Laura feigned innocence, fighting a smile as Carmilla glared at her.

“You’re lucky you’re cute. And answer the question. I could point you in the direction of some much better books than that.”

“This is a classic, Carm. And anyway it’s for my Lit. class.” Carmilla humphed and took out her own book: a worn copy of _Three Books of Occult Philosophy_. Laura made a mental note to look it up later. It sounded interesting.

Carmilla couldn’t keep her attention on her book for long. Her eyes kept flitting to Laura. The blonde’s tongue poked between her lips as her brow furrowed as she read. Carmilla loved Laura’s face when she was concentrating. But as she looked at her, the brunette’s face pulled into a frown. What did she really know about Laura? The brutally honest answer was not a lot. Laura had always been more interested in understanding Carmilla and listening to her story than revealing her own story.

“Go out with me.”

Laura’s head snapped up at the words. Carmilla was staring at her intently, but Laura knew her well enough to recognise the element of nervousness in her eyes.

“I thought we were already going out…?” Laura wasn’t going to lie, she was confused. Had she been misreading everything?

“I know, but we never do normal couple things. I want to take you out. I want to spoil you. And I hardly think that fleeing over the Alps was the most romantic thing we could have done. Look, I know things have been kind of hectic with everything that’s gone on this semester. You deserve a break. You deserve to be treated. To get away from this all. Just you and me. You and me in love.”

Laura smiled softly at Carmilla before marking her page and putting her book down. She stood and closed the gap between the beds, leaning down and connecting their lips. It was a soft kiss and both girls couldn’t help but let their eyes flutter closed for the duration of it.

Pulling back slightly, Laura’s chestnut eyes met Carmilla’s chocolate ones, a smile gracing her features.

“I would love to.”

*

Danny groaned as her head thumped lightly against the wall behind her. She was sat on Laura’s bed with Kirsch and Perry. Carmilla and LaFontaine were sat on Carmilla’s bed whilst Laura sat at her laptop.

They had been cooped up in the dorm room for the past few hours, trying to formulate some sort of plan to take down the Dean. And so far they had nothing.

“Hey Carm, where does the Dean get her blood supply?” Laura’s voice broke through the stale silence of the room. Danny wasn’t oblivious to the tiredness behind her tone, something which she could tell the blonde was trying to cover with her chipperness.

“Last I heard she got it specifically shipped in from Orléans. It’s sweeter.” Danny scoffed in disgust and Carmilla smirked her way. “Problem Xena?” she turned back to Laura. “So, why do you want to know that? What going on up in that pretty little head of yours?”

_Oh if only you knew_.

“Well if we could get hold of-“

“Impossible Cupcake. It’s a good plan, but we would never get close enough to her pull it off.” The brunette smiled apologetically at Laura. The blonde knew she couldn’t push the matter further without drawing unwanted attention to herself.

“Well what if we did get close enough?” Danny spoke up. “I mean, we don’t have anything else to go on.”

“I agree with D-Bear. Cause it’s either be like super sneaky or charge the Dean and that didn’t work last time we tried.” Kirsch said.

Carmilla sighed. “And how do you want to get close to Mammon? She has all sorts guarding her. Unless you’re volunteering to go up against Spartaca?”

“No. But we have to get rid of the scary monster chick though.” Kirsch bit his lip as he thought.

“How do you want us to do that Beefcake?” clearly Carmilla enjoyed talking about this as much as Laura did.

“Don’t you have any ideas? I mean you’ve been around the longest.” Danny spoke up for Kirsch.

Carmilla hesitated and Laura turned to her. What did she know?

“I might know someone who could fight her. Maybe. I don’t even know if I’ll be able to find them. If… he’s… still alive…” she seemed nervous about her words, as if she really didn’t want to get this person involved. Laura wasn’t surprised. If someone was involved in this then they weren’t going to be particularly pleasant.

“You know a gladiator?” Laura asked. She didn’t want to kill a friend of Carmilla’s.

Carmilla sighed deeply. “This is not something I wanted to get involved in. And usually I would tell you to find someone else to be your hero, but Mammon is involved and she’s making an army for herself. Whatever she wants that for doesn’t bode well for us. She’s planning something. Something big.”

Laura rubbed her thumbs over her palms in increasing unease. Her foot was tapping against the ground quickly. She looked around at the others who were all talking in great detail about ways to get close to the Dean. Not for the first time did she doubt what she was doing. Kirsch had called her a monster. They all thought that she was a monster. They wouldn’t forgive her for this. She was lying to them. She was working for the Dean. She was betraying them.

Laura’s breathing became laboured, as if it was getting stuck in the back of her throat. She turned back to her computer, hoping that no one would notice her panic. Maybe she should just tell them? Just get it over and done with. Like ripping off a band-aid. Let them hate her. But they would make her stop fighting. And if she stopped fighting then the Dean would hurt them. No. Laura knew she had to keep fighting, keep being Spartaca, keep lying to them, so that they wouldn’t get hurt. As long as she did this, they were safe – well, safer.

The blonde slumped back in her chair and rubbed her now aching temples. She had to find a way to get to the blood before Lilita and poison it. But how? How could a nineteen year old girl hope to defeat a couple of millennia old vampire?

“What do you think Laura?” LaF’s voice brought Laura out of her own thoughts. She had completely missed what the others were saying and thus had no idea of their plan.

She blinked. “About what?”

LaF looked at Laura for a long moment. They could see how tired and worn and almost skinnier Laura looked. They frowned. Was Laura ill? Surely she would have told them if she wasn’t feeling well, but then, she had been particularly touchy about being called weak recently. LaF decided to ask Laura about it when the others weren’t around. They didn’t want Laura to feel pressured to say that she was fine and they didn’t want the others to worry about Laura. Even if there was reason to be worried.

“We might not be able to get hold of the Dean’s blood, but that doesn’t stop us from being stealthy about dealing with her. We can sneak into her box at the gladiator match and kill her there.” The others smiled at the fact that they had a plan. Even Carmilla looked less despairing about it.

“You cannot be serious?” Laura all but scoffed, earning her confused glares from everyone else in the room. “You want to target her where she’s strongest. You do realise that her gladiators will be there and will fight to the death to defend her?”

“Yes, but if we do it publicly then maybe everyone will run. If we kill the Dean in front of everyone then people will realise that she is not so strong and they won’t fight for her anymore.” Danny spoke up.

Laura sighed again and slouched, suddenly feeling very tired. Was this what it felt like to live for hundreds of years?

“Even by my standards this is a terrible idea. I thought we agreed to not underestimate the Dean again.” Laura hated seeing the effect that her words had on her friends but she wasn’t going through all of this for them to throw away their lives like this. She knew how strong Lilita was and she wasn’t going to let them hurt themselves.

LaF frowned. “It’s not like you to turn down a plan in the name of good.”

“Well maybe I don’t feel like being vivisected by some super old vampire who has a grudge against me.” She shot back. “I know we will win – good always wins – but I’m not going to let you throw away your lives with some stupid plan.” The others couldn’t meet Laura’s eyes. They had forgotten that the Dean would want Laura dead most of all, even more than Carmilla. “Look, we’re all tired. Let’s just get some fresh air and some food or something. Just get out of this room for a while.”

Carmilla smiled sadly at Laura. She vowed that she would never let her mother hurt the blonde, at any cost. Laura’s life was the most important thing to the vampire.

“She’s right. We’ve been in here for too long.” Perry said, standing and pulling LaF up as well.

“Yeah totally. A bro needs food.” Kirsch piped up, standing and stretching, his back cracking twice as he did so.

Carmilla stood and made her way to Laura who had made no move to stand. Placing her hands gently on the blonde’s shoulders she leant down and pressed her cheek to Laura’s.

“You coming Cupcake?”

Laura nodded before standing, Carmilla’s hands never leaving her shoulders. When she had fully stood, Carmilla’s hands ran down Laura’s arms until they were holding hands. Laura smiled at the contact before allowing Carmilla to pull her out of the dorm after the others.

*

It had been hard to have lunch without talking about the ever-present threat of the Dean, but somehow they managed. And, oddly enough, Laura found herself relaxing slightly. For the first time in a long time she felt, well, normal. She hadn’t realised how much she missed it.

Carmilla offered to pay for Laura, and whilst the blonde was actually well off after all her wins in the arena, she let her girlfriend pay. Laura knew how much Carmilla wanted to be normal; a normal couple doing normal coupley things. Laura swore that after taking down the Dean (again) she would focus solely on Carmilla. That’s if the brunette still wanted to be with her after finding out the truth about who Spartaca is.

Whilst Carmilla payed, Laura waited outside the small café. There was a brisk chill in the air and the blonde was glad that she wore her varsity jacket. As she tugged the jacket more tightly around herself, a familiar voice sounded behind her, chilling her more than the weather.

“Well, well, well, little miss Wannabuffy is out to play.” Laura spun to see the Dean’s other daughter – what was her name, Matska? – walking towards her. “Don’t you know it’s dangerous for little playthings to be outside?” she took another step towards Laura who fought every instinct that told her to back up. “But mother won’t let me rip you apart like a child with a Barbie. Well, not yet anyway. Not until you’ve served your purpose.”

Laura frowned. “You can’t do anything as long as I’m her champion. And I’m planning on being that for a long, long time.”

Surprisingly, Matska laughed. “Fighting talk. How amusing. But I guess that’s what I should expect from your kind, a bunch of savage brutes really. In fact I wouldn’t hesitate to call you a _monster_.” Laura bristled at that. “Let me put it like this then. One monster to another, so to speak. You kill for money. I kill to survive. Does that make me a monster, or just someone fending for themselves? You could argue the same thing, but I have no ulterior motives.” She took another step, coming right into Laura’s personal space and baring her teeth. She brought her hand up and gripped Laura’s throat, not tightly, no. She wouldn’t want to enrage Lilita, but enough to get the point across. “When mother is finished with you, I will kill you-“

“Mattie!” suddenly the hand released Laura and the blonde watched in shock as Carmilla enveloped the other vampire in a hug. Pulling back, Carmilla beamed at her sister. “I had no idea you were in town. When did you get here?”

Mattie smiled warmly at Carmilla and wrapped her arms around her. “Oh not long ago. But from what I hear you seem to be in quite the mess, Kitty.”

Carmilla stepped back from her sister and took Laura’s hand. “I had good reason.”

“Oh you did not fall in love with another of the marks? Really Kitty, when will you learn? Especially when they are, well, nothing but mascots.” Laura attempted to charge Mattie, only to be held back by both Carmilla and Danny. Mattie laughed lightly as Laura glared at her. “But alas, I must be off. Mother is waiting for me. I’ll be seeing you soon Little Sis. You might want to think about where you allegiances lie.” Mattie turned to Laura and smiled at her. Laura could see the hate in her eyes though. “And you should remember what I told you the first time I met you, _Boudicca_.” With a final laugh, Mattie all but disappeared into the shadows, leaving Carmilla and Danny still holding onto Laura’s arms and Kirsch, Perry and LaFontaine standing behind, all equally shocked.

Danny dropped Laura’s arm before turning on Carmilla.

“What the hell, Karnstein? How many more of you are there? How many more of your siblings are we going to have to kill?”

Carmilla growled and stepped menacingly towards the redhead. “You won’t touch her, Beanstalk.”

“Oh yeah, Bad Blood. What are you going to do about it?”

“Mattie is much older than me and not even I could take her on. It’s your funeral.”

Danny scoffed. “No. It’ll be hers.”

Carmilla made to lunge at Danny but Laura held her back. Again, the vampire was amazed at the smaller girl’s strength.

“Enough you two. Are we really going to fight one another now? More than usual? At the point where we need to stick together the most?” she waited for both girls to concede before continuing. “We’ll come to what to do with her when we come to it. We have to worry about the Dean first. Remember?”

Danny nodded before frowning. “Hey Laura, what did she mean when she said something about meeting you the first time?” Carmilla cocked her head to the side as if she wanted to know the answer to that too.

_Think Laura think_!

“I bumped into her on my way from class. Like literally walked into her. She said something about using my eyes in her martinis.” At Danny’s aghast expression and Carmilla’s conflicted one she continued quickly. “I didn’t think much of it. You know, gory threats aren’t exactly unusual here?”

Danny blinked before grimacing. “Wow, our perceptions of normal really are different at Silas.”

Carmilla bumped her fingers against Laura’s, allowing for the younger girl to take her hand. “Look, if we just stay out of Mattie’s way for now and do what Laura says and focus on Mammon?”

Danny sighed, clearly frustrated. “Fine, but I’m not happy about this. The minute she tries to attack anyone and I’m ending her. Got it, Elvira?”

Carmilla turned to Laura, seemingly as frustrated as Danny was. “You can’t ask me to kill my sister _and_ my mother?”

Laura recognised the vulnerability in the brunette’s gaze and knew that this was something Carmilla really wouldn’t do. The blonde ran both hands through her hair as she thought. Honestly, Mattie was too much of a wild card to discount completely, but the six of them couldn’t take down both the Dean and Mattie at the same time. Laura knew she had to get to the Dean way before the others did. It was the only way any of this could work.

“Our focus is the Dean for now.” Danny started to argue but Laura cut her off. “We haven’t even come up with a way to get rid of Mammon. How are we going to deal with two old-as-Hell vampires?” Laura hated the way Danny looked at her. There was clear betrayal in her bright eyes. Laura knew that whatever her choice was, someone wouldn’t agree, but this way, hopefully no one would get hurt.

“Fine. Whatever. See if I care.” Danny spat before storming off. Kirsch looked apologetically at Laura before racing off after the redhead.

Perry stepped forward, taking control of the now uncomfortable situation. “Well, I think that we should call it a day. We can continue tomorrow when everyone’s calmed done a bit and has slept on it. Come along Sus-, LaFontaine.” She grabbed the other redhead’s wrist and dragged them away before Laura could even say goodbye.

“Well, that escalated quickly…” Carmilla said, gently running the backs of her fingers down Laura’s back.

The blonde sighed deeply before taking the brunette’s hand and instigating the walk back to their dorm. “What am I going to, Carm? We can’t lose Danny. We need her.”

Carmilla pursed her lips at the confession but didn’t argue. Yes, she was stubborn and had pride, but she could acknowledge to herself that the group needed Danny. She wasn’t entirely useless… sometimes. She pulled Laura closer to her, wrapping her arm around the smaller girl.

“We’ll figure something out, Laura.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't apologise enough for how late this update is. So much has happened in the past month that I just couldnt keep on top of this as well. Hopefully things will be easier now and less hectic.  
> As always, let me know what you thought and come bother me on tumblr with any questions at warrioroftheice  
> Thanks


	12. Lesson Number Eleven: Advantage to Disadvantage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans, plans and not-quite-plans.

Laura ducked under a particularly heavy blow aimed at her head. She brought her own gladii up and around as if to strike Taylor, only to hit his shield heavily, causing the much larger guy to stumble backwards slightly. She shot a smirk his way, only to be greeted with the sweeping backhand of his shield. Laura threw herself backwards out of the way of the shield, landing heavily on her back. Using the same momentum, she pushed herself backwards through a roll so that she was back on her feet.

The two gladiators surveyed one another for a moment. Laura used the brief moment to regain her breath back from the fall; she was really going to have to learn how to cushion such falls so that she wasn’t left so winded from each one.

Laura hated fighting Taylor. He was so big and well-armed that she always struggled against him. But she guessed that that was why she was repeatedly put against him. It was a challenge and each challenge meant that she learnt something new. And today was no exception. Looking at Taylor she took in everything about him. She discarded thinking of him as her friend and looked at him as an opponent. She saw the way he stood behind his shield, using it predominantly as his defence. She could use that to her advantage. He would use the sword in his other hand for attack and thus that would be his weaker side.

So how to get past the shield.

This was training. This was where she could afford to make mistakes.

Laura charged, angling her body as if she were going to go in for a slide. Taylor read her body language perfectly and dug his shield into the sand as if to stop Laura’s actions. Not stopping her momentum, Laura changed the way her body was angled and launched herself up onto the shield, using the boss of the shield as a step and vaulting over Taylor’s hulking form. Turning mid-air, Laura landed behind him and placed one sword to his throat whilst the other poked into his side so she could slide it through his ribs straight to his heart if he tried to move.

Sensing the peril of his position, Taylor conceded. The only person who had defeated Laura was Domina herself and, by the looks of how things were going, she wasn’t going to go down any time soon.

“Hollis!” both Laura and Taylor spun to see Domina standing behind them, arms crossed and whip wound in one hand. “You seem to have uncovered Lesson Number Eleven: Use your opponent’s advantages against them.” She turned to the rest of the gladiators. “When you use every advantage against your opponent then you will win. If you don’t then you die. And no one mourns the weak. Dismissed.”

Laura wiped her brow on the sweatbands that she had taken to wearing as she put her weapons back in their stand. She was tired today after training. She reckoned that the stress of secretly being Spartaca whilst planning her own downfall with her friends was getting to her.

As she pulled a bottle of water from her backpack, the small blonde felt a large presence behind her.

“Hey Laura, fancy grabbing a coffee?” Taylor asked and Laura could see the nervous twitch in his eyes that meant that he wanted to speak with her privately.

Despite her own tiredness she smiled. “Sure. Is the café on campus alright?”

Taylor beamed at her. “You read my mind.” Laura smiled. She did like Taylor. He reminded her a lot of Kirsch. Loyal but adorable. Only Taylor was a lot more dangerous. She had seen him decapitate a man after all.

Throwing her varsity jacket on over her tank top, both blondes left the old gym and made their way over to the café, making small talk on the way.

When they got to the café, Taylor offered to buy Laura a drink whilst she grabbed them a table. Settling down with a big sigh, she quickly sent Carmilla a text, letting her know she wasn’t going to be back at her normal time.

Sure she hated having to check in with everyone, but it made it easier for her to send a quick text rather than having someone turn up with the Spanish Inquisition. Laura was brought from her thoughts by a steaming mug of hot chocolate set down before her.

“How did you get all those extra marshmallows?” she asked in complete awe of the mountain of fluffy sugary treats that spilled over the rim of her mug.

Taylor chuckled. Seriously, how could the most dangerous gladiator be such a dork? “What can I say? I know the right people.” Laura laughed and prodded at the marshmallows that were quickly dissolving in the drink. “Hey Laura,” he waited until she looked up at him. “Is everything alright? You look tired.”

Laura raised an eyebrow. “I’m stressed. I have no idea how we’re going to, uh, well, y’know?”

Taylor hummed in agreement, licking the chocolatey froth from his spoon as he did so. “Yeah, so that might be why I wanted to talk today. About Project Daybreak. Hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time and then I called it that so much in my head that it kinda stuck.” He explained, causing Laura to smile even more. “Anyway, Project Daybreak. So I’ve been looking into the best ways to kill a” he looked around nervously before leaning forward and lowering his voice, “vampire. And I’ve come up with a few things. There are around five typical ways to kill one: staking, beheading, fire, silver and sunlight. But there’s no easy way for us to do any of those so I looked a little deeper and came across something called ‘Sangue Debolezza’. It’s basically the only natural way a vampire can die. From what I understood, it’s a form of blood weakness which got me thinking. We have the best chance at succeeding if we can poison her. Kill her from the inside out. And so I looked into the chemical properties of making it so that there would be enough silver in a blood-bag, for example, for it to be effective, but at the same time remaining undetectable.”

Taylor slid a page of calculations to Laura. She looked over them with no idea of what they were actually showing her but there were a lot of numbers and the letters _Ag_ and _Cu_ kept reappearing. Laura remembered enough of her high school science curriculum to know that they were the chemical symbols for silver and copper. Whatever Taylor had planned, he had certainly put a lot of effort into it.

“This is great, really,” Laura said, eyes never leaving the page. “Only, I have no idea what it means.”

Taylor smiled. “It’s the calculations for how much silver one would need to put in a blood bag in order for the silver to contaminate the original elements.”

Laura looked up in shock, a heavy weight lifting from her shoulders at the mere suggestion of a plan.

“No way! Taylor that’s brilliant. I haven’t been able to think of a way to take down… um I mean to execute Project Sunrise-“

“Daybreak.”

“Right, Project Daybreak, but I think this might be it. You’re right in thinking that we have to take her down from the inside and I had considered poisoning too but I just couldn’t work out how to do it. But you, you have. We can do it. And we will do it.”

Laura’s determination made the taller guy smile. He would never admit that he had been nervous about telling Laura about his plan. But she had been nothing but encouraging.

“I’m fairly sure I can contaminate the sample, but I have no idea how we are going to get access to her, uh, stock.”

“Leave that to me. I have an idea.” Laura said slyly, her mind going a thousand miles a minute. She did have an idea, yes, but it was reckless and oh so dangerous.

Taylor seemed to sense her train of thought and just nodded, finishing the remnants of his drink. He frowned all of a sudden, his back stiffening and his gaze sharpening.

“We’re not alone.”

*

Domina had been watching Hollis and Taylor interact for a while now. She didn’t like how close they were getting. She didn’t trust it. She didn’t trust them. Taylor she couldn’t care less about. All muscles and no brain. But Hollis. She knew things about that girl. Madame Morgan had told her how Hollis had, almost single-handedly, taken down her regime at Silas University.

The worrying thing was, Hollis was the perfect gladiator. She was strong and unpredictable. She respected her peers and the family and was slowly losing her morals. That was good. She would be easier to control when she didn’t care.

But now, Domina watched the two interact in the café. They were leant towards one another and seemed to be discussing something in hushed tones. Domina knew that there was no romantic intention between the two as she knew that Hollis was involved with Madame Morgan’s disowned daughter.

 _So what were they doing_?

As she came close enough to hear what they were saying, she stopped, not entirely sure of what she had expected, but it wasn’t this.

“I just can’t get low enough to spin like you do, Hollis. Especially on sand. Like you totes have to show me how you do that, bro.”

Hollis laughed. “Only if you show me how you do that gladius flip. Hey you never know when it could come in handy…”

Domina frowned. They were… trading tips? It made sense for them to be doing so and Domina was actually embarrassed that she had thought that they would be doing anything other than that. That didn’t mean that she trusted them though. They were siblings in the arena. Nothing more. Not friends.

There were no friends in the arena.

Without drawing attention to herself, Domina slipped away.

*

“She’s gone.” Taylor said, slumping slightly in his seat.

“Oh thank God. Do you think she heard us?” Laura asked nervously, turning round to look to where Taylor said he saw Domina.

“I don’t think we’d still be alive if she heard us. I think she must have fallen for the trading techniques thing. That was too close though.”

“You’re right. We have to be more careful. We can’t do this so publically. We have to work something else out. Here give me your phone.” Taylor handed Laura his phone and she quickly typed in her number. “This has to be our only way of contact until Project Daybreak.” Taylor nodded.

“Right. Then I’m off. We should probably part ways here, y’know?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. See you soon, Taylor.”

“You know you could call me by my first name.”

Laura thought for a moment. “What is your first name?”

Turning with a smug grin on his face, the tall blond replied. “Taylor.”

With a wink he left, leaving Laura laughing behind him.

The minute Taylor left, Laura felt alone. And, for the first time in a while, she felt scared. Domina had been following them. Of course she had. Mammon had ears everywhere and Laura was furious at herself for not having been more careful sooner.

Although her dorm wasn’t far, and she was more than capable of looking after herself, Laura took out her phone and sent Carmilla a quick text, hoping that her girlfriend would get it.

In the meantime, Laura got herself a hot cocoa and was sipping it slowly when she felt, rather than saw, a presence beside her.

“What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” the familiar sarcastic drawl caused Laura to smile.

Carmilla wasn’t sure why Laura had texted her asking her to meet her at the café, but she wasn’t complaining. Recently, she felt as though all the pressure had been getting between them. She really wanted some alone time with the small blonde, without the fear of Mammon, or Spartaca, or even just everyday university.

“Oh you know, waiting for someone.” Laura smiled into her drink. She loved playing these little games with Carmilla.

“Oh? And there’s no way a girl like me could… _entice_ you away?” Carmilla would never admit it, but she loved playing these silly little games with Laura too.

Laura hummed as she sat back, as if considering the offer. “I would normally love to, but the girl I’m waiting for is pretty special. I’m going to have to pass this time.”

If Carmilla could blush then she would be tomato red right now. Laura had said she was special. And the fact she said it in a passing comment meant that she really felt that way about Carmilla. Again the brunette found herself falling a little more for her little human. How she ever got to be with Laura would remain a mystery, but Carmilla would stay with Laura forever.

“Well then, whoever she is must be very lucky.” She said quietly. Carmilla was all too aware of how soppy this was getting and chose to change the subject by leaning over and stealing some of Laura’s cocoa.

“Hey!” Laura said, but she was smiling and the brunette knew that she wasn’t really angry.

Placing the mug back down in front of Laura with a grimace at how sweet it was, Carmilla spoke. “So, not that I don’t enjoy our time together without being interrupted by the Scooby Gang, but what’s up?”

Laura hesitated for a moment. “Well we haven’t spent enough time together when it’s just us.”

Carmilla looked at Laura for a long moment before sighing and gently taking the blonde’s hand from across the table. “Hey Laura?”

“Yeah?”

“Could we just pretend, just for tonight, that if I asked, we’d run away? We’d find some way to leave and we’d just go. Somewhere without gladiators or homicidal family members. We’d sleep in hotel rooms and,” she smiled, her eyes faraway, “never live in the same city twice. There would be no one to fail or disappoint or save. It would just be you and me in love.”

Laura’s heart ached at how much Carmilla sounded like she wanted that. She hadn’t really considered what it would be like for her girlfriend, slowly watching the blonde fall further into the dark world of the arena with no idea what was going on or how to help. She sighed and stood, making her way round the table to where the brunette sat. Laura sat, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend and nuzzling into her.

“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” but then images of Taylor and Evans flashed through her mind, followed by the faces and eyes of all those who she had killed. And then finally she saw Lilita Morgan. Her stern face was pulled into a smug smile as she stood, towering over the bodies of her friends and ‘siblings’. “But, our friends need us. The school needs us. Maybe we could be happy that way but, you know we wouldn’t even be you and me anymore. We’d just be these empty shells who ran away.” Carmilla shifted slightly away from Laura. She knew that she had said the wrong thing. But she was deep in this mess and only she could get herself out of it. “But once we’ve done this, the two of us will go away. Anywhere you want. We can go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York? Anywhere.”

Carmilla knew Laura was right, but it still hurt. Why would Laura always put the right things first? Why couldn’t she just be selfish for once? Why couldn’t she even pretend to put _her_ first?

“Y’know, I never did get to go to Metropolitan Museum of Art,” she began, careful to not let her feelings be apparent in her voice. “And since then there’s been a lot of change. I think I would like that a lot.” Carmilla smiled and leant in to kiss Laura gently. The blonde responded eagerly, excited by the prospect of going away with Carmilla. And with the amount of money she had been earning in her fights then she could actually pay for the both of them. Carmilla pulled away ever so slightly so that they were only a centimetre apart. “You know, you never did follow up on that spoiler for when you got better…”

Laura smirked before standing and pulling Carmilla back to their dorm.

*

The minute the door closed behind them, Laura pushed Carmilla up against it, kissing her heatedly and humming slightly to herself when Carmilla whimpered at the back of her throat as Laura nibbled on her bottom lip. The blonde’s hands roamed across the brunette’s body, feeling down the soft curves of her waist till they settled on her hips.

Carmilla wasn’t usually one for being dominated easily so she flipped them around so Laura was pinned to the door whilst the brunette held her hands above her head. Smirking at the surprised gasp from the shorter girl, Carmilla moved her lips to Laura’s jaw and began to kiss her way down her neck, revelling in the small noises the blonde was making. Those noises drove the vampire crazy and caused her to gently bite Laura’s neck, sucking at each spot. Laura was _hers_ and she didn’t care who knew it.

Carmilla released her hold on Laura’s arms and the blonde’s hands found the brunette’s hips, slowly running up underneath Carmilla’s top and grazing against the surprisingly hot skin of the vampire’s stomach. The vibrating groan that ripped through Carmilla’s throat caused Laura’s knees to go weak and in one swoop she lifted the brunette’s top up and off the older girl, tossing it haphazardly to the side. Laura took Carmilla’s shock in her stride as she attached her lips to the girl’s shoulder and biting down before sucking. The blonde loved the effect that she had on her centuries old girlfriend as the brunette placed a hand heavily on the wall next to Laura’s head to steady herself.

Once she had managed to steady herself, Carmilla unzipped Laura’s varsity jacket and slipped it down Laura’s arms, letting it drop to the floor, leaving Laura in her white tank top and jeans. _God Laura looked good in a tank top_. Carmilla hadn’t forgotten that she was stood in her bra and decided it would only be fair if Laura was in the same state of undress. Looking at the blonde girl with hooded eyes, she brought her hands to rest at the hem of the tank top, running her fingertips along it until Laura arched her back slightly, indicating for Carmilla to continue. Much like Laura had done, Carmilla got the garment off in one move, tossing it behind her.

Carmilla couldn’t help herself. She hadn’t seen Laura this exposed since before the vampire incident and, looking at her now, she couldn’t believe that she had held out so long. Laura was incredibly toned. All those Krav Maga lessons had really paid off on her physique as Carmilla ran her hand over the smaller girl’s hard abs, not heavily defined on her body but it was clear that they were there.

Carmilla again found herself in wonder about this petite human. She was so beautiful in every way and Carmilla was sure she didn’t see it as much as she did. So the brunette chose to show her instead. Taking Laura’s face in her hands, the vampire brought their lips together in a searing kiss, dragging her teeth along the shorter girl’s lower lip before biting gently and pulling lightly on it between her teeth, causing the blonde to moan deeply and push her flushed chest against Carmilla’s own heated skin. The friction of each girls’ skin against one another caused both of them to gasp into the kiss. Carmilla ran her hands down from the sides of Laura’s face down her neck, over the swell of her breasts and down her sides until she reached the blonde’s ass and cupping it.

Laura moaned into the kiss and wrapped a leg around the brunette who lifted the blonde up, supporting her by her backside and carrying her towards the bed, never breaking the kiss. Carmilla gently deposited Laura onto the bed and straightened, looking down on her girlfriend. Laura was lying, pushed up on her elbows, as she stared at Carmilla with dark eyes. Carmilla’s eyes raked down over Laura’s torso, taking in the swell of her ample breasts, lingering slightly on the lighter patch of skin above the girl’s heart before moving down to the still pink scar on Laura’s side.

Carmilla straddled the blonde slowly, one leg at a time, pushing Laura fully onto her back as she did so. Leaning down, Carmilla connected their lips again, more gently this time, but not without the passion. She loved the way Laura’s tongue would graze against her bottom lip, begging for entrance before the brunette parted her own lips further and felt the blonde’s tongue slide along the inside of Carmilla’s bottom lip. She loved the way Laura tasted. Today she tasted of sugar and chocolate with a hint of sweat.

As they kissed, Laura’s hands found the button and zipper of Carmilla pants, effortlessly undoing them and leaving them unbuttoned whilst running her fingers along the hem of the lace panties underneath until she reached behind her and grabbed her ass, bringing them closer together and causing Carmilla to moan into the kiss, a sound that was fast becoming one of Laura’s favourites.

Carmilla grinned into the kiss, breaking it before moving her lips to Laura’s jaw and further down, planting teeth-grazing hot kisses as she went. Laura hummed as Carmilla kissed through the valley of her breasts, sliding her bra straps from either shoulder as she went. As Carmilla went further south, Laura groaned as she veered off to the side to where the scar marred the otherwise flawless skin of her torso.

Laura’s heart swelled as Carmilla placed the gentlest, feather-light kiss on it. The brunette didn’t see it as ugly – Hell, everyone had scars, either emotionally or physically – it was now part of Laura and whilst she would have preferred if it wasn’t there, she loved Laura, scars and all.

Settling between Laura’s legs, Carmilla started to undo the button to Laura’s jeans at an antagonising pace, smirking as Laura squirmed impatiently underneath her. She continued her torture as she slowly peeled the jeans down Laura’s legs, causing the blonde to shiver in anticipation as heat flooded straight through her. The sight of Carmilla knelt between her legs, pulling her trousers down was the single most arousing thing Laura had ever seen in her life.

Carmilla kissed her way back to where Laura needed it most, taking her time as she placed each kiss up Laura’s inner thigh. She wanted to map out the younger girl’s body. It was her own treasure.

Carmilla hooked her fingers into Laura’s sky blue lace underwear – god lace looked good on her – when the door to their room crashed open and LaFontaine, Perry, Danny and Kirsch barged in, eyes going wide as they took in the scene before them.

Danny went as red as her hair, eyes bulging in their sockets as she couldn’t take her eyes off the scantily clad Laura. Perry let out a little squeal and turned her entire body from the two before her. Kirsch smirked, chuckling out a ‘nice’, earning him a slap upside his head from Perry whilst LaF looked on, thoroughly amused.

Carmilla actually growled and moved to stand, body rigid with the anger of being interrupted. Perry, sensing the danger, turned and practically shoved the others out of the door, calling,

“We’ll be waiting out here for you to, um, make yourselves presentable.”

Carmilla slammed the door so hard behind them that Laura was surprised it didn’t splinter.

“Well, that was mortifying.” Laura said, sitting up and resting her weight on her hands behind her.

“Remind me why I haven’t killed those toddlers yet.” Carmilla snarled. She turned to Laura with a predatory smirk on her face. “I’m tempted to make you scream so loud that they would have no option but to listen to how hot the two of us are together.”

Laura groaned at the thought. Honestly she was not happy in the slightest that they had been interrupted.

“As much as I want that, that was kind of a mood killer.” Carmilla groaned in frustration.

“I’m going to need the coldest shower.”

“Maybe I could join you then?” Laura smirked as Carmilla’s eyes bulged at the mere idea. “But then, I guess it wouldn’t be a cold shower would it?” Laura laughed as Carmilla stared, wide-eyed, at her. Since when was Laura such a flirt?

Standing, Laura grabbed her jeans and, realising that she had no idea where her top was, grabbed her hoodie from her desk chair. Carmilla was still in her jeans and Laura laughed again as the brunette’s dark eyes never left her as she moved about the room.

“I’m changing in the bathroom. You’re more than welcome to let them in like that.”

“Ugh do I have to?”

“I’m sure they’re here for a reason.”

As Laura entered the bathroom, she heard Carmilla mutter “They better be.”

Closing the door behind her, Laura rested her head against the door. Her heartbeat still hadn’t slowed and she felt agitated and, for lack of a better word, twitchy. Carmilla wasn’t the only one who needed an ice-cold shower.

Turning to the mirror, Laura surveyed herself. The cover-up that she used on her brand was still intact, and whatever was in one of the creams that was given to all gladiators really did the job with the healing. The only scar she could see on her body was the one on her side. She knew that the moment she stopped using the creams then the scars would be visible again. Much like those pills that Domina had given her at the hospital.

Laura didn’t question what was in those creams or the pills; sometimes ignorance was bliss.

Laura quickly threw on her clothes, making sure that she didn’t seem too sexually frustrated at being interrupted. Sighing, she turned towards the door.

Upon entering the room, Laura sat next to Carmilla on her bed which the others seemed to be avoiding. Danny wouldn’t make eye contact with the blonde and Perry was still flustered by the whole experience, moving her hands from being folded in her lap, to being crossed across her chest, before returning back to her lap. Kirsch was still smirking but he had to hide it for fear of being hit again by, well, anyone. In fact, the only person who seemed to be completely unaffected by the whole shenanigan was LaFontaine. They were sat there, excitedly tapping their fingers together.

“So, you better have a good reason for interrupting us.” Carmilla snarled. Clearly sexual frustration and her didn’t mix all too well either.

At this point LaF was nearly bursting with excitement. Ignoring the annoyed looks of everyone else in the room, they stood and unravelled a large piece of paper, revealing the blue prints to the entire campus.

“We have a plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks for reading. As always, let me know what you thought of this chapter and if anyone has anything they wanna talk or question me about, my tumblr is warrioroftheice.  
> Again, thanks.


	13. The Second Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura struggles with where her allegiance lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: GORE

_“We have a plan.”_

Laura couldn’t help the look of shock that crossed her face. In hindsight she should have guessed that this would have been the reason for the intrusion, but she had witnessed how much the others had struggled with coming up with a plan and had just assumed that they wouldn’t achieve it before her. She had thought that they would figure something out after she had executed her own plan and had been revealed to have been Spartaca the entire time.

“So we totes had a good reason to interrupt-“ Kirsch choked on the rest of his sentence after a harsh elbow from a still-blushing Danny.

Smiling, LaF continued. “So Perry’s friends at the Silas newspaper managed to get us the blueprints for the Dean’s building. And I know people in the Alchemy Club who had the blueprints to the whole campus – which in hindsight is a little worrying but explains a lot – and Perry noticed something on both maps.” They finished grinning proudly at the curly-haired ginger who blushed under the gaze.

“Oh, it was nothing really. LaFontaine was really the mastermind behind all this.”

“She’s just being modest, really it was all-“

“If you interrupted us just to gush over one another, God help me I will hurt you.” Carmilla snarled.

LaF coughed before continuing. “Right, well, uh, there’s this tunnel that runs from the library to the Dean’s building-“

“Yes but that was filled in fifty years ago.” Carmilla frowned.

“Yeah, but there’s another tunnel beneath that. JP confirmed for us that there are two tunnels from the library to where the Dean lives.” LaF finished proudly, smiling in triumph at the news.

“So what you’re saying is that there is a way in?” Carmilla asked after a beat. “I have to hand it to you Ginger Twins, not even I knew that.”

A moment of shocked silence. A minute ago Carmilla was threatening LaF and Perry and now she was praising them?

“So what’s the plan then?” Laura piped up.

A moment of silence stretched on after Laura’s question, accompanied by the confused blinks of her friends.

“The tunnels, Laura.” Danny explained slowly.

_Was she missing something?_

“What are you going to do with the tunnels though?”

LaF opened their mouth and closed it immediately, a lost look crossing their features. Apparently no one had thought ahead. Laura wasn’t surprised though. She used to be like that too; headstrong, charging into situations without thinking ahead. But joining the Silas Gladiators had made her need to plan her every move. For her, not doing so meant death.

_And no one mourns the weak._

Kirsch, however, wasn’t deterred for long. “We’ll sneak in, take care of anybody in our way and deal with the Dean.”

“And if we come across with Spartaca or any other gladiators then we take them down.” Danny finished and the others nodded.

Laura’s stomach dropped. She thought she was going to be sick as the others began to talk through their plan. It never got easier, listening to her friends determinately saying that they were going to kill her. She was doing everything that she was so that the Lilita wouldn’t kill her or her friends. But with every day that she was Spartaca, her friends grew to hate her more and with every day that passed, Laura became less and less certain of who she would need protection from when it came to it.

In the crowded dorm room, Laura felt painfully lonely. Lonely and isolated.

“Hey,” Carmilla leaned over to her, speaking softly. “You alright, Cupcake? Your heartrate is going crazy.”

It was true. The blonde’s heart was beating so fast she could feel it each thump reverberate throughout her entire body, causing her to feel faint from the sudden rush of blood to her head. Not to mention she was exhausted and her head pounded with a forgotten familiarity. She had been tired after training but had seen Taylor, then Carmilla, then a lot more of Carmilla and now everyone. She needed air. She couldn’t breathe in here.

Carmilla frowned, taking Laura’s hand in her own. “There’s something wrong. And you clearly aren’t telling us everything. Laura, I’m old. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. Please. I’m here for you. Let me in.”

Laura stared at Carmilla for a long moment, blood rushing in her ears. Sometimes she forgot that Carmilla wasn’t usually like this. That the blonde brought it out in her. She hated how young and vulnerable the brunette looked with her brow furrowed with worry and hurt; how her dark eyes sparkled with worry.

Each time anyone approached her like this, Laura found it increasingly hard to not tell the truth and again she found herself cracking under the pressure of keeping this secret.

“Carm,” her voice quiet with indecision. _There’s so much I want to tell you, but I can’t just yet. I promise I will tell you soon_. “I’m scared. The Dean hates me. I was the one who turned you fully from her, who ruined her plans at Silas, who pushed her into the pit. She wants me dead more than anyone else. It’s just a lot of stress.”

Carmilla sighed and moved her hands to cover Laura’s. She understood the amount of pressure that Laura had been under recently and she felt the wave of guilt rush through her for what seemed like the thousandth time.

“She won’t get to you. I’ll make sure that she doesn’t.” The brunette said, the conviction in her voice causing the blonde to smile sadly.

“I know. I know you’re all there for me.” Laura said, smiling at the others as well. “Okay, so when should we put this plan into action then?”

The others were sceptical to answer for a minute. They weren’t quite feeling about continuing the conversation. But, they realised, if they named a time then that could end the conversation comfortably for the day.

Unsurprisingly, LaF answered. “We should do it sooner rather than later. I mean, the Dean has been a step ahead of us the entire time. We have to attack before she gets wind of our plan. I think this Thursday.”

Luckily, Laura wasn’t the only one surprised by how soon LaF proposed.

“Thursday?” Danny spluttered. “As in two days? How are we supposed to achieve anything in _two days_?”

Perry, too, was perturbed by how little time they had. “This needs intense planning and I don’t want us to throw our lives away on a whim.”

LaF nodded. “I know guys. That’s why I have a half formed plan in my mind but give me until tomorrow to make sure of the details. We can go through it tomorrow and that would still give us enough time to prepare.”

Kirsch was nodding slowly before he frowned in confusion. “But, like, there’s another fight tomorrow. I thought that we were all-“ he paused and looked apologetically at Laura. “Sorry, L. Um, I thought that we were going to that tomorrow.”

LaF nodded. “Yep. Right after the fight will be an ideal time for us to come back here and go over the plan.”

Laura bit her lip worriedly. She was fighting tomorrow. She hoped that she would be able to get back here before the others did, or, even worse, she would be called in to speak with Lilita again. Actually, thinking about it, she wanted to speak to Lilita. As she sat there, her own plan was forming quickly in her head and she knew that she had to speak to both Mammon and Taylor before meeting with the others.

“I might be a little late then,” upon seeing the raised eyebrows of her friends, she quickly added, “I’ve got a study session. I still intend to pass, y’know.”

LaF nodded, taking it in their stride. “Right, yeah. So should we say meet here at around 7pm tomorrow?” Everyone nodded, not really knowing what more to say as the reality of what they were trying to achieve crashed down upon them. Two days. They had two days until they attempted to fight the Dean. It was no time at all. “Good. We should get going now though. It’s getting late and I want to get to the arena early tomorrow.”

LaF stood, quickly followed by Perry. Apparently, both gingers were quite good at suppressing images from earlier on. Danny, on the other hand, stood, still not making eye contact with either Laura or Carmilla, and stuttered out a farewell before dragging Kirsch out behind her, the brunet boy waving goodbye as she did.

As the door shut behind Kirsch, Carmilla let out a deep sigh as Laura yawned widely.

“Great, now that Mystery Incorporated have left, I would love to get back to where we were before we were so rudely interrupted, but Ginger One was right.” At Laura’s amused raised eyebrow, Carmilla half snarled. “Tell anyone that…”

Laura laughed and leant against the brunette, tilting her face slightly and capturing the other girl’s lips in a languid kiss. It didn’t hold the same fervour as before, but both girls still revelled in the way that they seemed to fit against one another. Carmilla tilted her head slightly to the side and nibbled on Laura’s bottom lip, causing the blonde to smile into the kiss, effectively breaking it. Looking into the brunette’s eyes, Laura could see the warmth and care that was reserved primarily for her and her alone. She had been thinking a lot recently about what she felt towards the other girl and she knew that it was strong. That some would call it love. But Laura was ever hesitant to use the ‘l’ word and so refrained from saying anything. But at times like this, when it was just the two of them, and when Carmilla looked at her like that, she felt like that word was more than fitting.

“You’re tired.” Not a question. Carmilla could see the way Laura’s eyes drooped and how she would stifle a yawn. “Come on Creampuff. You should get to bed.”

Laura nodded and stood, feeling the chill of separation from Carmilla. Grabbing her pyjama bottoms and her way-too-big Silas U t-shirt, she headed into the bathroom to change and brush her teeth.

Coming back into the room, she saw Carmilla had reclined back on her own bed, book out, eyes flitting across words Laura knew she wouldn’t understand. Sometimes, at such domestic times like this, she could almost forget about everything. About Lilita Morgan, about the arena, about Spartaca.

Smiling to herself, Laura crawled into her own bed, shivering from the cold sheets. She weighed up the option of doing a ‘cold bed dance’ but instead threw back her covers, causing the vampire across the room to look at her questioningly.

“You joining me?”

*

Laura woke to another door slamming further down the corridor. As far as she was concerned, if her alarm hadn’t gone off then it was too early. And even if she had wanted to get up, she wasn’t sure she could as a strong arm was wrapped around her waist and her legs were tangled with another pair. She knew that the warm body pressed against her back belonged to Carmilla, a thought that still sent butterflies ricocheting around her stomach.

She remembered how Carmilla had smiled when Laura had asked her if she was joining her; it wasn’t a smirk but a genuine smile that caused her eyes to sparkle and the hard edges of her expressions to soften. The brunette had quickly stood from her own bed and stepped across to Laura’s, shedding her trousers as she did so – she knew Laura hated cuddling when she was still wearing her jeans – and climbed into the bed next to the blonde. Laura had instantly cuddled up to Carmilla, laying her head on her stomach and wrapping her arm around her middle. The brunette hadn’t planned on sleeping just yet and so continued to read, absentmindedly tracing patterns of long forgotten words across Laura’s skin. It was those feather light touches that had put the blonde at ease and soon she had fallen asleep.

As it was still early, Laura snuggled back into her girlfriend who unconsciously wrapped her arms more tightly around the little blonde. Laura smiled and closed her eyes, not necessarily wanting to fall back asleep but content to just exist for the moment. She had a big day ahead of her and wanted to make the most of this normality between girlfriends before she had to go and fight for her life.

Another door slammed – seriously how many people were up this early? – and Carmilla shifted slightly. The brunette woke slowly, groaning quietly at the early hour before noticing Laura in her arms. She smiled a smile that was reserved solely for the blonde. It was a playful smile, full of affection and raw emotion. The kind that she normally hid from the world.

She nuzzled her face into the blonde’s neck, kissing the exposed skin lightly, revelling in the fact that she could. In the fact that Laura was hers. That they were lucky enough to have times like this. Carmilla was old enough to recognise quality time with someone and honestly, any time with Laura was quality. The blonde had grown up a lot in the time she had known her, but her ideals stayed the same. And that’s part of what Carmilla loved about her. Her unyielding sense of what was right.

Carmilla suddenly became aware of the increase of Laura’s heart. So she was awake? The vampire rolled her eyes good naturedly with a smile on her face.

“Morning Cupcake.” She husked in the blonde’s ear, voice rough from sleep. Carmilla loved how Laura’s skin erupted in goosebumps whenever she was this close to the blonde.

Laura wiggled and turned until she was facing Carmilla. The blonde smiled shyly at the brunette, blushing as Carmilla leant and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

Laura moved her arm so it rested on Carmilla’s hip, her thumb gently tracing circles there, causing the brunette to hum quietly as her eyes fluttered shut.

“This is nice.” Laura spoke quietly, not wanting to break the bliss of their little morning bubble. It was just them. They could forget about their worries and fears for this little moment.

Carmilla hummed in agreement. “Just you and me.” She opened her eyes, focussing on the golden flecks within Laura’s chestnut ones. “Y’know, it is still early…” a smirk slowly formed on her lips as she leant closer to Laura and pressed her lips languidly to the base of Laura’s jaw. “And, I believe you owe me a shower.”

Carmilla would have been worried about the pace of Laura’s heart if she wasn’t so amused by it. She loved the way that Laura’s eyes bulged at the implication, her cheeks taking on a rosy glow.

But, as all things Laura, Carmilla was in for a surprise when Laura laughed, pushing the brunette until she was on her back. The next instant, Laura had straddled her. Carmilla’s breath caught in her throat. How had this even happened? How did Laura always manage to turn her flirting back on her?

“Hm, I guess I did, didn’t I?” she leant down, her hair tumbling down around her face, the tips tickling Carmilla’s skin.

Leaning down, Laura’s lips ghosted across Carmilla’s. Carmilla was sure that if her heart still beat then it would be jumping out of her chest right now.

A blaring ringing caused both girls to jump. Laura laughed lightly to herself as she reached to turn off her alarm, rolling off a now very grumpy Carmilla as she did so.

“Is there no end to my torture?” Carmilla dramatically threw an arm across her face, causing Laura to giggle – one of Carmilla’s favourite sounds.

“Gotta keep you on your toes, Carm.” Laura smiled and leaned down, kissing the vampire’s cheek before getting up and going to make herself a hot cocoa.

Carmilla watched her girlfriend happily from her bed. The way the light from the window hit her highlighted her hair in a golden halo around her head. Carmilla’s heart swelled at the sight of Laura in her baggy pyjamas with tousled, messy hair. She smiled as Laura yawned, rubbing her eyes as she did so. How someone could go from sexy to adorable so quickly was beyond the vampire but she loved Laura all the more for it. Especially when she saw Laura make a second cup of cocoa for her with added blood, of course.

Carmilla thought that this is what domestic life with Laura must be like. And she loved it.

Now that the day had “officially” started, Laura’s nerves getting increasingly worse about the fight. This was her tenth fight and she knew that Lilita and Domina had planned a little _surprise_ for her. What that was she didn’t know, but she knew that it didn’t bode well for her. Her death count was at twenty-one, the highest number in her class. And it was still rising.

The boiling kettle brought Laura back to the task at hand. She could worry about what was in store for her later. And for now she would concentrate on her girlfriend.

Taking both mugs back to where Carmilla still lay in her bed, Laura settled next to the brunette, glancing at the book she was currently reading.

“Thanks, cutie.” Carmilla smiled. She had noticed Laura looking at the book she was reading. “Know that one?”

Laura thought for a moment. “I haven’t read all of _The Banquet_ , but I like that Plato includes Aristophanes’ idea of the types of people there were in the world.” Carmilla motioned for the blonde to continue. “Like how in ancient times people weren’t simply male or female but one of three types: male/male, male/female or female/female. In other words people were made from the components of two people. And people were happy with this idea. But then, God went and cut everyone in half so that the world was divided into male and female. And so, people then spent their entire lives running around looking for their missing half.”

Carmilla nodded. God, Laura was smart. “And what do you think?”

Again Laura thought before voicing her answer. “Well, I liked the idea to be honest. I like how there is another half of each and every one of us, somewhere in the world.” She leant further into Carmilla. “But it makes me sad to think of it as _missing_.”

“Do you know what it means?” the brunette asked gently.

“I guess that it’s really hard for people to live on their own.”

“Yes. And it’s true. It is hard for people to live on their own, but not impossible. But there’s something that Aristophanes doesn’t touch upon.” A curious glance from Laura pushed Carmilla to continue. “Well, he was under the impression that the sole purpose of our lives was to find our other halves but that’s not all there is. Personally I don’t think that finding your other half is as important as he makes it out to be. As if the only person who matters is your other half. I think the people who you chose to surround yourself with are as important as your other half. Find the right people and they’ll be there for you no matter what. And people _change_. Even in their short life-spans, humans evolve. They learn and progress. So no, life isn’t easy on your own, but there’s more to it than searching for your other half.”

Laura hummed in agreement, thinking for a while. “Do you think it would be better? Living in a simpler time?”

Taking a sip from her own mug, Carmilla thought. “Maybe. Mammon used to say that the Romans were more fun than the Greeks because they were open to a lot of concepts.”

Laura spun round to her girlfriend, wide-eyed. “Wait. How old is the Dean?”

“I’m not too sure. Mattie’s nearly a thousand years older than me and mother was ancient by the time she turned her. She never spoke of her early life. And if she ever did, it was in passing.”

Laura settled back against Carmilla. The information that the Dean was thousands of years old did nothing to calm her at all. They thought that they could deal with someone as old as history itself?

“She’s slipped up in the past,” Carmilla said, as if reading Laura’s troubled thoughts. “And she’s done it again. We can get in through the passage and deal with her. I know we can. And trust me, Laura, I would know.”

Laura smiled sadly, shifting slightly so she could lean her head against Carmilla.

A knock at the door broke the silence between the two, simultaneously causing Carmilla to scoff.

“Oh now they knock.” She grumbled.

Laura laughed. “Can you blame them? Last time they barged in you were between my legs.”

“Not as between them as I would have liked, Sweetheart.”

Laura rolled her eyes as she stood to open the door.

Danny, LaF, Perry and Kirsch smiled as Laura opened the door. They had to admit that Laura looked adorable in her pyjamas. Sometimes they worried that Laura would feel left out from not being able to attend the arena with them but the risk of the Dean seeing her was too large. They knew that if it came to it, Carmilla could defend herself, but Laura stood no chance against the Dean. Another reason why Carmilla could attend was because she was able to blend in with a crowd and disappear in a moment.

“Good morning Laura.” Perry greeted brightly, glad to see Laura fully clothed. Her smile faltered, however, when she saw Carmilla in only her top and panties getting up from Laura’s bed.

Laura, upon seeing what the others were staring at, felt her cheeks redden at the implication of how it must look. Carmilla merely shrugged at the pointed look that Laura gave her before waltzing into the bathroom, all too aware of Laura’s eyes on her ass.

Turning back to the others she smiled sheepishly, knowing that trying to explain herself would only make matters worse.

“Do you two ever take a break?” Kirsch asked with a cheeky grin, ducking from a blow aimed at his head from Danny.

“I’m sure that whatever Laura and Carmilla do in their spare time is their own business.” Perry said quickly before anyone else could say anything.

Laura’s face felt like it was on fire. It was too early in the morning for her to be teased by her friends about her relationship with Carmilla. Luckily though, the vampire in question appeared at that moment, donned in her leather pants and red plaid shirt and combat boots.

“As much fun as it would be to stay and tease the Cupcake, we should probably leave if you want to get your good seats.” She drawled, hand snaking round Laura’s waist to rest on her hip. Laura leaned into the touch.

The others nodded before turning abruptly and leaving, stuttering out awkward farewells and hurrying off, not waiting for Carmilla.

“Oh goodie. I get to spend the whole day with them.” The brunette grumbled as Laura turned in her arms, wrapping her own arms around the brunette. “Hey, we’ll be back before you know it.” she added softly, running her hands up and down Laura’s back comfortingly.

“I know. Be careful?” she looked up and met the brunette’s dark eyes.

Carmilla smiled. “Always. Especially when I know I have you to come back to.” Leaning down slightly she pressed a kiss to Laura’s forehead and offered a crooked smile before moving off to catch up with the others.

As the door closed behind Carmilla, Laura let out a shaky breath. Her nerves were strained and she wanted more than anything for Carmilla to come back and hold her and tell her that everything was going to be alright.

But she had dug her own grave and had deal with the consequences.

*

The crowd cheered more loudly than Laura had ever heard as she watched her opponents enter the arena. Spartaca’s fight was the _primus_ of the season and the crowds were there in their masses. She felt the familiar pounding of the crowd reverberate throughout her entire being as the crowd chanted her name as she walked out upon the sand.

Holding her arms out, she welcomed the cheering, the support. These people wanted entertainment and she would definitely give it to them. She saw Carmilla and the others sitting in the front row and she couldn’t help but cock her head at them, mentally asking if they still thought her weak. She had to keep hold of whatever motivation she could.

When the announcer had proclaimed that this was Spartaca’s tenth fight and therefore would face ten opponent, three of whom were the champions of their own respective gladiatorial establishments, the crowd had risen as one and cheered and clapped with more gusto than Laura had ever heard. Ten opponents at once was the most amount of opponents that the blonde had ever faced. She was going to have to be careful.

And apparently, Mammon hadn’t pulled her punches either.

Of the ten, seven of the opponents were built like Taylor, bodies thick with muscles, towering over her. And those were the weak ones. The remaining three were marked out by their golden armour which glinted impressively in the light of the arena. Laura instantly knew why they were dressed as such; again Lilita was making a statement that Laura was hers, was _dark_.

Laura’s eyes were drawn instantly to the largest figure in gold. He stood at least two feet taller than the other and Laura was sure that her entire body was the same size as a single arm of his. She observed what weapons they all carried, trying to understand what class of gladiator they were. The tallest one was armed with a gladius, small shield and spear. By his wide brimmed helmet, shin guards and manica, Laura suspected he was a _Hoplomachus_. She could deal with that, right? Another gold adorned opponent was armed with a curved bow, something Laura had never faced before. She would have to watch out for that one. The final golden warrior was dressed much like the Hoplomachus but was armed with a curved sword and small shield. She had never seen a _Thraex_ in action before and wasn’t particularly happy that the first time would be in this fight.

Of the seven weaker gladiators, Laura saw two _Retiari_ , armed with tridents and nets. She could take them on easily enough; after all she had trained with Evans enough to know how to fight such armed opponents. The other five were dressed similarly in scale armour, a kind of armour that was completely foreign to Laura. She couldn’t identify these last ones.

Turning to the box, Laura raised her swords in salute to Lilita, trying to ignore the glares that she could see her friends giving her. Turning back to her opponents, Laura saw why she hadn’t been able to identify six of them. From a gate to the side, three horses and three chariots were brought in. The golden bowman mounted his own stamping black horse whilst two of the scale armoured gladiators mounted grey horses that frothed bloodily at the bit. The other three gladiators mounted their own chariots, drawn by brown horses which tossed their heads impatiently at the roar of the crowd.

 _Horses_. She had never fought anyone who had been mounted before. Suddenly Laura felt overwhelmed at the prospect. But no, she could do this. She was strong and she had to survive for her friends. For Carmilla. She was the only one keeping the Dean at bay.

With that thought in mind, Laura raised her gladii, waiting for the others to make the first move.

The three chariots were first to move as began to circle the small blonde. She remained in the centre of the arena so she could keep her sides open and not corner herself against a wall. As the chariots circled her like birds of prey waiting for carrion, the two _Equites_ (horsemen) charged at her. Laura, unused to the speed of horses, threw herself out of the way just in time, rolling out of the dive and back on her feet, turning so as not to have a blind spot. Laura wasn’t dumb, she could see that these gladiators had a plan of attack.

After diving out of the way of another mounted charge, Laura came out of the roll and knocked a trident that was thrust at her out of her way as the _Retiari_ began their own assault, hoping to get the blonde off guard. As she knocked one trident aside, another was driven towards her exposed side. Laura, having fought Evans multiple times, spun out of the way, letting the momentum of the Retiarius propel him forward and onto her sword, releasing a spray of hot blood upon the sand and her legs. Turning quickly to face the other trident-wielder, Laura saw him retreating to a safe distance. Apparently they hadn’t expected her to get her first kill so soon.

Her small victory was short lived, however, as she stumbled forward a sharp ache starting in her shoulder. Turning her head, Laura’s jaw clenched at the sight of a bolt, shallowly sticking out awkwardly from her shoulder. She had completely forgotten about the bowman and thus had dropped her guard momentarily. As she watched, Laura saw his string another arrow and draw it. Dropping to the ground, Laura grabbed the body of the fallen _Retiarius_ and pulled it over herself just as she felt the arrow thump into the dead flesh.

Pushing the body off and standing, Laura pulled the arrow from her shoulder, grunting from the pain but adrenaline quickly took over, numbing the pain.

Laura heard the _Equites_ before she saw them. Whilst she had been preoccupied with the _Sagittarius_ bowman, the other horsemen had circled round and started another charge. Dropping her gladii – she knew Domina would make her pay for it later – Laura picked up the dropped trident from the sand and swung it like a baseball bat, catching one of the horsemen right on the chest and knocking him from his horse. Without giving him a chance for recovery, Laura twirled the trident above her head and brought it down on the horseman’s throat, pinning him to the ground as he drowned in his own life’s blood.

Seeing his fallen horseman, the last Equites drew back, letting the chariots close in. Laura had no idea how to fight a chariot. And, as they drew closer, Laura saw that there were sharp blades protruding from the wheel’s hub.

 _Great_.

It was clear that she couldn’t let it get too close, and rolling out of the way wouldn’t work the way it had with the horsemen. She had to be smart about this and think fast before they came too close.

As she watched them get closer and closer, Laura saw that the space between the chariots was closing drastically, giving her an idea. If she could take out one of the chariots then there would be a domino effect, taking out the others. But how to destroy the chariot? Laura only had her gladii and the trident…

Laura wasted no time in grabbing the trident, placing her foot on the body and yanking the weapon from the fallen gladiator’s neck, spraying blood and flesh. She knew that she had to get her timing perfect as she drew her arm back and hurled the trident, striking the horse of one of the chariots, causing it to scream and rear. The momentum of the chariot behind it, however, kept going and knocked the horse down causing the chariot itself to flip, sending the _Essedarius_ flying and causing the chariot that had been going full speed behind it crashing into the wreck.

Laura quickly advanced on the thrown gladiator who was kneeling with his back to her, clearly trying to gather his bearings. Laura brought her gladius around the front of him and made quick work of slicing through his neck, releasing a fountain of blood upon the sand. Turning to the other chariot, Laura was relieved to see that the other _Essedarius_ had fallen upon the blade of the first chariots wheel, piercing him through the chest.

Laura’s ears perked at a whistling sound that she had grown to be wary of. Spinning on the balls of her feet, the blonde brought both gladii up and sliced through the heavy spear that had been aimed at her from the gigantic _Hoplomachus_.

Laura, now surrounded by the bodies and wrecks of the other gladiators saw the charioteer, the bowman, the _retiarius_ and the remaining horseman regroup. However, Laura noticed the _Thraex_ had joined them. She began to worry that the _Hoplomachus_ was watching her fight so he knew what to expect when he fought her.

Turning her attention back to the gladiators approaching her, Laura felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. The _Thraex_ began to run at her, taking up the focus of her attention. As he approached, he feigned a sweeping cut to Laura’s right side, changing last second to strike her left side. The blonde hastily raised her gladii, only just blocking the attack. Already she could see an advantage of having a curved sword; it allowed for quicker and cleaner repositioning of sword strokes.

Before she could recover her bearings, the _Thraex_ struck at her again, aiming for her leg, again being blocked just in time by Laura. Undeterred, he struck Laura square in the chest with his shield, knocking the breath from her and sending her stumbling backwards. With a skilful swipe of his sword, he managed to slice from Laura’s to her palm, causing her to loosen her grip on her gladius. A strong strike sent her sword flying from her weakened hand and as she raised her other sword to defend herself, an arrow pierced her wrist, causing her to cry out and drop her sword.

Laura grit her teeth as she pulled the arrow from her wrist, trying not to think about how much blood was coming out of the wound.

Seeing the _Thraex_ approach, Laura fell to her knees, a single thought crawling through her mind.

_I can’t do this alone._

For half a moment, she considered taking her helmet off and accepting her fate as _Laura Hollis_ and not as _Spartaca_. But she didn’t want Carmilla to see her as a monster. She didn’t want the others to see her this weak. Looking round, she saw Taylor and Evans shouting at her from behind the Silas Gladiators gate, telling her to move, to get up, to _fight_. She wasn’t alone. And she sure as Hell wasn’t dead yet.

Looking up, she saw the _Thraex_ had his sword raised, ready to strike down. It was the perfect time to act.

As the sword came slicing down, Laura threw herself out of the way, letting the momentum of the _Thraex_ ’s hit put him off balance. Laura kicked him in the head as hard as she could, causing him to fall to the sand on his side. Laura gritted her teeth as sand got into the cut in her hand as she grabbed the closest thing to her; the spear she sliced in half. Raising it high above her, she plunged the point straight down, right through the _Thraex_ ’s mouth, shattering his teeth and severing the top of his skull from the bottom, killing him instantly.

Without giving herself time to breath, Laura grabbed her fallen gladii and held them as tightly as she could. Above the roar of the excited crowd, Laura heard the _Sagittarius_ horseman shout and race towards her, followed closely by the _Equites_ and _Essedarius_.

With no time to think, Laura wrenched the spear free and threw it as hard as she could at the _Sagittarius_ , again hitting the horse and sending the rider flying. This gladiator, though, seemed to be trained for such occurrences and rolled, cushioning his fall and rolling back to his feet, continuing to run at Laura.

Half-formed plan in mind, she raced at him in return, swinging high and then spinning so she struck low. With the half-moment in which he reacted to the hit, Laura pushed him backwards with all her might, straight into the path of the chariot.

Seeing fellow gladiator in his way, the _Essedarius_ tried to pull up and stop, but he had been going too fast and crashed into the bowman awkwardly, sending the chariot flipping and crushing the charioteer in the process.

Seven down and three to go.

By this point, Laura was running solely on adrenaline, not allowing herself to think of the damage her body had taken in case she shut down completely.

The last Equites pulled up, horse rearing and Laura used it to her advantage as she grabbed his leg and pulled him from his mount. As he fell, he kicked out, causing Laura to stumble back and charged her with his own gladii. In his rush, he made a sloppy, wide overhead strike, letting Laura easily block it with one sword and then slicing straight through his stomach with her other sword, releasing a steady stream of blood and intestines gushing to the sand. Kicking him away, Laura spun on her heel and knocked the trident from the remaining _Retiarius_ away, putting all her strength into a heavy downward blow and cutting the weapon in half.

The gladiator then raised his barbed net, wielding it with more ease than Evans and threw it in a way that it wrapped around Laura’s leg. Ignoring the pain, Laura twisted her leg more into the net, causing the _Retiarius_ to stumble towards her. Before he could regain his balance, Laura lashed out, cutting halfway through his neck, making him relinquish his hold on the net. With a final blow, she managed to detach his head completely from his body.

Kneeling, Laura carefully extracted the net from around her leg, hissing as the pain joined everywhere else that hurt.

She stood, facing the giant _Hoplomachus_. She was exhausted and had only just defeated the other nine gladiators and now the most dangerous one was left.

Looking at the bodies that surrounded her, Laura became aware that she must look like a monster; bathed in her own blood and that of her opponents. Blood covered every inch of her, shining darkly on the black of her armour and staining her skin red. Her gladii were slick with it, coating the blades thickly and her own blood was causing the handles to slip around in her own hands. It made her sick to her stomach.

She next became aware of the chanting of the arena. It was easy to block out in actual combat, hidden under the rush of rush in her ears. But now, the crowd was screaming her name. Cheering her on. They wanted to see Spartaca do the impossible. Her ears did hear some other cheering, some of the arena chanting for Beelzebub. _Of course her opponent had to be named after the devil_.

Squaring her shoulders, Laura opened her arms to Beelzebub, welcoming him to attack first. After all, why prolong the inevitable? She couldn’t afford to risk her adrenaline waning whilst she still had to fight this beast of a gladiator. Suddenly, the blonde was grateful for all those practise sessions with Taylor.

“Are you so keen to die, _little girl_?” He called tauntingly across the arena.

Laura sighed exasperatedly. What did she really have to do to prove herself? She had just defeated nine gladiators on her own and Beelzebub still referred to her as a little girl. Not bothering to answer, Laura picked up the bladed end of a trident and threw it with all her might towards where her final opponent stood.

The giant watched the missile fly towards him as if in slow motion. Stepping aside, he watched as it sailed past, causing a deep laugh to start in his belly.

As he turned back to Spartaca, he was hit with a drop kick to the stomach, sending him stumbling and catching him completely off guard. Laura had used his cockiness to her advantage and so had purposefully thrown the trident, knowing he would try and show her up before the crowd.

Laura rolled out of the drop and shrugged apologetically at the fuming giant. Pissing him off hadn’t been her original intention but people made mistakes when they were angry and she hoped that Beelzebub would too.

With an angry cry, the giant threw himself at the small blonde bringing his gladius down. Laura held both her swords up in defence, gritting her teeth as her body shook with the reverberations of such a powerful strike. For half a moment, Laura was stunned with the shockwaves, her body not responding to her.

Taking the advantage, Beelzebub backhanded Laura with his shield, sending her flying into one of the chariot wreckages. The blonde landed awkwardly, wheel hub blade slicing across her back. She groaned and tried to get to her feet as quickly as possible, never taking her eyes off her opponent. She was a good ten metres from him. Laura knew she could afford to let him hit her like that again. Her breathing was laboured and she worried about the damage on the inside.

Not allowing herself to dwell on the pain, Laura charged the giant, ducking under a blow aimed at her head and spinning, bringing both swords up and catching Beelzebub on the thigh deeply. Grunting, he brought a leg up and kicked Laura square in the chest, sending her crashing to the ground. Before she could move again, he had pinned her with his foot.

Reaching up, he took his helmet off, revealing a face that was badly scarred, as if he had been in a fire. White straw-like hair stuck out from odd places on his head and he grinned maniacally at the tiny blonde struggling beneath his heavy foot. Looking up at the cheering crowd he laughed at how easy fighting Spartaca was.

Gritting her teeth, Laura swung her arm up and brought the pommel of her gladii down on the cut in Beelzebub’s leg, causing him to cry out and relent his hold on her for a moment. But a moment was all she needed. Twisting the sword in her hand so that she held it in a backhanded grip, Laura drove it through his Achilles tendon, rolling from him as he roared in pain and anger.

Beelzebub brought his sword down to where she had been lying, metal meeting sand and Laura rolled atop the flat of the blade, piercing his shoulder with both her gladii. She could feel that he was different from anyone else she had fought from how difficult it was to actually push her swords through his hard flesh.

Snarling, the giant flung Laura off his weapon, the blonde twisting in mid-air and managing to land on her feet. Spinning, she began her own assault on Beelzebub, forcing to take uneven steps backwards at the fury of her attacks. Laura could see that where she had stabbed him in his shoulder had seriously weakened his shield arm and he was seriously off-balance from where she had cut through his tendon. Side-stepping to her right, she feigned a strike to his sword arm, allowing him to raise his own weapon before spinning and bringing both gladii through his exposed shield arm, severing arm from body.

The giant moaned in pain and loss, stumbling back, his sword-hand going to the bloody stump that was his arm. Laura, however, didn’t relinquish her attack and pressed him further, using her advantage. As she sent a heavy blow towards his now undefended midsection, Beelzebub rolled backwards from the attack.

Coming out of the roll and back to his knees, Laura sprinted at him, jumping as high she could, she brought both her gladii down on Beelzebub’s exposed head, cracking through the thick skull and carving down to his eye. The blonde stayed there for a moment, breathing heavily and listening to the adrenaline pumping through her blood. Pushing his body from her weapons with her foot, she lifted her bloody, dripping swords above her head, ignoring the pain from her body, letting the wild cheering of the crowd wash over her.

She had done it.

*

Carmilla had watched the fight with a very keen eye. She, the vampire, felt sick at the carnage before her. Spartaca had sustained injuries that would have killed any human, and yet she was stood, relishing in her victory. The brunette was nervous about this one. Her mother usually groomed people into being her own little weapons but none had proved to be quite as successful as this one. Not to mention they had no idea of her identity. They had just assumed that she went to Silas, but for all they knew, the Dean could have brought her from anywhere.

Faced with no other choice, Carmilla knew she was going to have to get The Other Gladiator in.

*

“Come in Laura.” Mammon said brightly. As the blonde sat stiffly, Lilita Morgan smiled widely, unnerving her. “That was quite the performance. I must admit that even I was on the edge of my seat. Absolutely exceptional. You must feel very proud of yourself.”

Laura forced a smile to her face, aware that it must look more like a grimace. Her entire body ached with such a deep pain and even though the worse injuries had been dealt with directly after she had stepped off the sand, her exhaustion and pain made her feel incredibly faint.

“I’m sure I’ll feel more proud about it tomorrow.” She all but groaned.

The smile slipped slightly from Lilita’s face. “Naturally. But you were the one who requested this meeting after all.”

Laura nodded, stomach churning at the crippling guilt of what she was about to do.

“Well, you see, there’s this plan…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter took a long time to get down. There were three different drafts of the first half and I'm finally happy with how it turned out. I hope it was worth the wait.   
> Please feel free to comment and let me know what you thought of this chapter. I have only recently found out that you can reply to comments and so from now on I shall be replying to each and every comment.  
> And as always, come find me on tumblr at warrioroftheice.  
> Thanks for reading.


	14. Lesson Number Twelve: Patience is a Virtue Afforded to Few

Laura dragged her aching body back to her dorm, fingers brushing against the wall for support as she went. She was tired. Tired on a cellular level. What she really wanted was for nobody to yell at her about any of her decisions until she had had at least forty-five minutes of sleep. Well, that was wishful thinking at least.

Laura opened the door to her room, wincing at the pain in her hand as she did so. Looking up, she was confronted with her friends talking quietly amongst themselves. As the door opened, Carmilla stood and greeted Laura with a hug, not noticing the flash of pain that caused her to tense for a moment. Not for the first time, Laura was glad for her varsity jacket being just that bit big on her, allowing it to fall past her ruined hands.

“Hey,” the brunette whispered, her lips ghosting over Laura’s before she took the blonde’s hand, leading her back to where she had been sitting previously.

Laura didn’t trust herself to speak in case her voice betrayed the pain she was feeling.

“Hey, L.” LaF smiled, clearly eager to put forward their plan. “Right so now we are all here I have come up with a fairly solid plan.” Their eyes sparkled brightly with excitement.

“Wow, encouraging much, LaFrankenstein?” Carmilla drawled, earning a glare from Perry. LaFontaine, on the other hand, was unperturbed.

“Yes. So, we all know that we are going to sneak into the Dean’s building tomorrow? Catch her by surprise, y’know?” Laura’s stomach flipped uncomfortably with guilt. “So the plan is to get through the building to the Dean’s private quarters and then split up.” They held their hand out, stopping the arguments that started up from the statement. “Just let me finish. So I’ve memorised the layout of the building and Carmilla I think you must know it to some extent?” the vampire inclined her head in agreement. “Brilliant. So Carmilla, Kirsch and Danny go around to another entrance whilst Perry, Laura and I distract the Dean long enough for you three to sneak up on her and finish her off.” They finished proudly.

 “No can do, Red Barron.” Carmilla said, frowning. “There is no way that I’m splitting up-“

“I know but-“

“No she’s right.” Danny interjected. “We can’t split up when we need to stick together the most.”

“And putting Laura in as a distraction puts her at too much of a risk.” Carmilla finished firmly, accompanied by a nodding Danny.

“I think it’s a good idea.” Even to her own ears, Laura’s voice sounded strained, receiving disbelieving looks from everyone apart from LaF who urged her to continue. “I know that it is dangerous but the whole thing is dangerous. But I would be the perfect… bait.” LaF opened their mouth to argue that that hadn’t been their intention but Laura continued on before they could get a chance to speak. “I don’t mind. Look the Dean wants me dead most of all so she wouldn’t hesitate to go for me and would leave the rest of you to make your move. It’s not ideal, no, but it’s the best chance we have.” She met everyone’s eyes, hoping that they would understand the truth of her words.

“Yes, but Laura, you said yourself that she wouldn’t hesitate to kill you.” Danny said, clearly unhappy with this plan.

“Then don’t be late.” She retorted.

“Is this a joke to you?” Carmilla sounded furious. Pushing Laura away from her slightly so she could face her – she pressed against Laura’s ribs, causing the blonde’s face to scrunch up in pain. “She will kill you Laura. No hesitation means no chance.”

Laura took a deep breath, focussing on her rising anger instead of the pain. “She won’t kill me. I trust you guys. With my life. Do you not trust me with my own?”

Her words were followed by a heavy silence. Even Laura was silent. Did she trust them with her life? She hadn’t told them of the identity of Spartaca because she was afraid. Afraid of how they would see her. But was that the only reason?

“You can’t ask me to stand back and watch this happen Laura.” Carmilla said quietly, sounding tired, as if all of her years had caught up with her at once. “I can’t be the reason for your death.”

“You won’t be. You know why? Because I won’t die. Because you will be there for me. You always have been there for me and you always will.” She finished gently. The brunette looked deeply into Laura’s eyes, seeking the strength she needed to let Laura do this. And she found it. All she could see was the determination that she had grown to love.

She sighed and nodded, taking Laura’s hand in her own. “What weapons do you plan on using because I don’t think a simple stake will do the job this time?”

Surprisingly, LaF’s face lit up. “Oh I’ve got the perfect ideas for how to defend ourselves and attack. We’ll have silver on each of us,” after a beat they sent an apologetic look to Carmilla, “and I’ve created grenades filled with holy water and crucifix shards. Perfect for attacking vampires. Uh, sorry Carmilla.” The brunette shrugged.

Laura didn’t like this plan at all. If she made it to Lilita then she would no doubt be outed as Spartaca, and if the others managed to get there then Carmilla was at risk from such weapons. Her grip on Carmilla’s hand tightened a fraction, causing the brunette to look over at her.

“Don’t get too close to them then.” Laura said, worrying her lip between her teeth nervously. The vampire smiled slightly at how much Laura worried about her when she was the one who would be facing the Dean head-on tomorrow. Rather than saying anything, she just returned the squeeze of the hand.

LaF flicked through their notebook where they had kept all their planning. “So when would be the best time to attack?” they asked.

“Midday.” Carmilla replied instantly. The others looked at her and she shrugged. “Vampires remember? Weakest during the day.”

Danny frowned. “Does that mean that you’ll be weaker too?”

The brunette nodded. “Yeah, but I’m used to daylight now. I’ll only be a little weaker.”

LaF nodded, pleased that they had sorted out a time. “Right so we go at midday.” There was a silence following their words as the others, not for the first time, realised that this was all happening _tomorrow_.

“So, how was the arena?” Laura asked. Oh, she knew how the arena was. She knew she wouldn’t forget it for the rest of her life. She was, however, fairly curious about what the others had to say about the display.

And she wasn’t surprised in the least when she was met with silence.

“Let’s just say that I’m glad you didn’t have to witness what we saw today.” Carmilla voice sounded hollow, sending uncomfortable chills down Laura’s spine. “Nobody should have to see that kind of carnage.”

Laura’s stomach dropped and for a moment she was sure she was going to throw up. Carmilla, the _vampire_ , said that.

“Why?” she dreaded the answer but the journalist in her had to know.

“Well, for starters, two of the Silas gladiators were killed.” Danny’s words caused Laura to go cold all over. _Two were killed? She hadn’t even noticed. What if they had been her friends?_ “And then there was Spartaca…” her voice trailed off and Kirsch took up the story.

“It was totally uncool. She’s like a little demon babe. And not in a good babe kind of way. Like a totes psycho babe way. She killed ten people.” He gestured wildly in the hope that he was getting across how crazy he thought Spartaca was.

“It was horrible to watch. It was almost inhuman. She took hit after hit and kept getting up and killing her opponents.” Perry looked uncomfortably pale at this point.

“Yeah, she did look like she was giving up at one point… god, I got hopeful for a second when I saw that.” LaF grumbled. “We have to hope that we don’t come across her tomorrow.” They looked to Carmilla. “Have you heard back from your gladiator friend? Will they fight for us?”

“I wouldn’t quite call them a friend, but yes, they will.” Carmilla kept her eyes on her and Laura’s entwined fingers. This had to work. Too much was now at stake (no pun intended).

Laura, too, couldn’t meet anyone else’s eyes. Tomorrow was going to have to work or else she would have to fight this _acquaintance_ of Carmilla’s and she really didn’t want to do that. But, the most surprising part of all this was how positive Laura felt about it. Her friends didn’t suspect a thing; Lilita didn’t suspect a thing. She could do this. She knew she could. She just had to get everything in motion before Carmilla’s gladiator came in.

Carmilla’s words had caused the tension in the room to lift a little. At least there was a backup plan if it came to that. LaF had purposefully left the plan vague to accommodate for any obstacles that they might come across. They didn’t know what to do if they all came across Spartaca, but they felt more comfortable going through it with everyone else, and they told the rest that, to which Carmilla replied that they would cross that bridge _if_ they came to it.

By this point, Laura’s eyes were drooping and she kept covering her face with her arm every time she yawned. Her exhaustion had caused the pain in her body to become an ever-present ache as she rested her throbbing head on Carmilla’s shoulder.

“As much as I _love_ spending long periods of time babysitting you lot, might I suggest that we call it a day. Especially if we’re planning on going all Rambo on the Dean tomorrow.” Carmilla said with a roll of her eyes, as if she were bored. Really she knew Laura wouldn’t kick the others out and the little blonde was nearly falling asleep on her so she took the initiative.

Danny’s eyes flicked to Laura. The blonde had said she had a study session today so why was she so tired? Carmilla had been moodier than usual so she suspected that the two had gone straight to bed after they had all left last night. The redhead’s eyebrows scrunched together as she really looked at Laura. She knew the blonde well enough to know that Laura wouldn’t say that there was something wrong with her so she had taken it upon herself to keep an eye on her. And today she looked incredibly pale. And tired too. There were dark circles beneath her bloodshot eyes and she was holding her body in a way that wasn’t normal for her. Danny couldn’t quite place her finger on why Laura’s body language was different but it looked like she was protecting her ribcage maybe? The redhead met Carmilla’s eyes and the vampire nodded slightly, alerting Danny to the fact that she had noticed it too and would ask Laura about it when the others had gone. It was like an unspoken agreement the two had between one another. They both kept an eye out for Laura.

Danny stood, motioning for the others to do the same before offering a quick farewell to Carmilla and Laura before heading off to their own dorms.

Once alone, Carmilla looked at Laura. The small blonde was curled in on herself, somewhere in the state between conscious and unconscious. She frowned as she took in the sight of Laura’s pale skin and tired eyes.

“Hey, Laura?” she said gently.

Laura opened her eyes slowly, not wanting to move from her comfy spot on Carmilla but aware that she would have to move if she wanted her injuries to remain hidden from her girlfriend. It was a thought that still made her uneasy, but less so as more time wore on.

“Yeah?”

Carmilla hesitated. How could she ask this without the risk of pushing Laura away? _Are you ready to tell me what’s going on?_ No, too confrontational. _Are you alright?_ No, too vague.

“You haven’t seemed yourself recently… is there something you want to talk about?” she felt Laura tense up for a moment before she let out a deep breath, body relaxing slowly as she did so.

“It’s this semester. It’s all too crazy. I mean, everything with the Dean being alive... uh… undead? And then there’s an underground gladiatorial arena? Not to mention that I think I’m doing too much with my assignments.”

“Why did you stop your little video reports?” the brunette asked gently. She knew that amongst other things, they had been a great way for Laura to relieve stress.

Laura paused, all too aware that she hadn’t actually stopped recording videos. “It didn’t feel like me anymore.” She said quietly. Carmilla frowned at the girl’s answer. That didn’t seem like Laura in the slightest. “I mean, there was so much going on last semester that I thought it would bring back bad memories,” a humourless chuckle escaped her lips followed by a grimace, “and I guess this semester isn’t much better. But it does mean that I get to use different forms of media to use in my reports.”

Carmilla was silent for a moment. Sometimes Laura was so different that she felt like she didn’t know what to say to her, and then there were other times when she was just so… _Laura_ that she couldn’t help but smile at her. But when there were such quick changed between them Carmilla felt like she was getting emotional whiplash. She would start to worry about the blonde and then the next minute Laura would seem absolutely fine before giving Carmilla another cause for concern.

The brunette sighed. She knew that she wouldn’t get an answer out of Laura if the blonde wasn’t ready. “You know you can always talk to me, about anything, right?”

Laura looked up, meeting her eyes. “I know.”

Carmilla leant down and planted the softest of kisses upon Laura’s lips, lingering slightly with her eyes closed as she savoured this sweet moment with Laura. As she moved away, the blonde pouted slightly, causing a smile to tug at Carmilla’s lips.

“I think it’s time you went to bed.” Laura mumbled a ‘no’, turning to bury herself further into her girlfriend, her arms tightening around the brunette with the pain that that simple motion caused. Carmilla, misinterpreting the action, laughed lightly, poking Laura gently in the side to get her to move.

Well, it worked. Laura shot up, with her back to her girlfriend so that she wouldn’t be able to see the pain that she was in. Carmilla, still unaware of Laura’s condition, laughed before sprawling across her bed and grabbing her book.

“Go to bed, cutie. I’m going to stay awake for a little while.” She made a shooing motion and Laura grabbed her pyjamas before heading into the bathroom.

Once the door had closed behind her, Laura let out a deep shuddering breath. Resting her weight on her knuckles she leant over the sink. She knew that Carmilla wouldn’t ever consciously cause her pain, but, resting as she did so, she felt the bile rise up the back of her throat. Laura’s breathing turned laboured and she focused on breathing past the nausea.

Straightening up, a searing pain shot down her back and through her ribs causing her to drop heavily to her knees. She was only _nineteen_ , for God’s sake. She was meant to be worried about whether or not the person she liked liked her back, or where to take her girlfriend out on a perfect date. She shouldn’t be worrying about ancient vampires, or gladiatorial fights to the death. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

She’d always read books with teenage heroes; Christ, Rose Tyler had been nineteen and had gone off on great adventures across the universe. But why had no one ever told her how _hard_ it was? How much it _hurt_? Laura covered her mouth as a sob ripped from her body. Scrunching her eyes shut, she let the pain of it all take over.

*

Carmilla looked up as Laura entered the room again. The blonde smiled shyly to the brunette, giving her a quick kiss before getting into bed. The vampire wasn’t surprised in the slightest when Laura’s breathing evened out and she fell into a deep sleep almost as soon as her head hit her pillow. Carmilla watched her for a few minutes more, trying to piece everything together that could suggest why Laura was fading.

*

_Those eyes. She would know them anywhere. Those eyes so dark they were nearly black. Those eyes surrounded by blood. So much blood. It filled her mouth, her nose, her eyes. She was drowning in it. She could do nothing but watch as the gates closed with a harsh **bang**!_

Laura’s eyes snapped open, a sheen of cold sweat coating her body. Sitting up and looking around her, she relaxed back into her bed, wincing at the pain in her torso. She waited for her heartrate to slow as she tried to remember what her dream had been about, and why it had scared her so much. She took a deep breath and winced at the all-too-familiar pain of her ribs. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to get back to sleep in this sort of pain, not to mention she felt wired from the dream she couldn’t remember.

After the initial burst of pain had subsided, Laura looked to where Carmilla slept on her own bed. The brunette was curled on her side with her back towards Laura, breathing softly as she slept. A smile tugged at Laura’s lips when Carmilla twitched slightly in her sleep, reminding Laura very much of the old cat her grandma used to own which would often twitch in its sleep.

Satisfied that her girlfriend was actually asleep, Laura reached under her bed – careful of all of her injuries – and got the foil of pills that Domina had given her yesterday. Taking two from the packet, she quickly swallowed them with a mouthful of water before getting up and going to make herself a hot cocoa. Looking to her clock, she saw it was 5:36 in the morning and she suppressed a groan. It was far too early, even for her.

Rubbing her damaged hands across her face, Laura cleared away the last remnants of sleep before setting about making her drink. Not for the first time did she wonder what was in those pills as she took in the sight of her hands. One had had a hole through it yesterday and today that was a bright red scar. _Ignorance, remember Laura, ignorance is bliss_.

Sighing, she took her drink back to her bed, switching on her lamp as she did so. She had about four hours before she had to be up and she didn’t want to wake Carmilla up. After all, the brunette had gone to bed later than she had. Picking up her copy of _Dracula_ , Laura wondered if she could finish it before Carmilla woke up. After all, things were hopefully coming to a close now. They would be taking on the Dean today which would set in motion Laura and Taylor’s plan. And then, then she could focus on what was really important to her, a little bit at a time. After this was over, she would finish her assignments – she was confident in her journalism report on the Silas Gladiators – and she would use the money that she had earned to spoil Carmilla. Laura knew that there would be an element of distrust between her and the others once the truth came out, but she knew that if she got to explain it fully then they would understand. She knew Carmilla would. She couldn’t wait to go to New York with her girlfriend, but first, she wanted to take her out dancing. With that thought bringing a smile to her lips, Laura set about reading _Dracula_.

But, the more she read, the more uneasy Laura became. Her mind wandered back to a question that she had asked her viewers last semester: _what would Mina Harker do?_ It was a question that now left a bitter taste in her mouth. She had brushed the character aside claiming that she would get bitten and nothing else. But now, reading about Mina Harker’s challenges, Laura couldn’t help but draw parallels between her own life and that of the character’s. Harker was crucial to the effort of taking Dracula down, typing up the journal entries of all the characters, making copies of the records. But whilst that did resonate with the blonde, what really shook her was when Mina Harker started to get targeted by Dracula himself. She told nobody for the fear of worrying them and ended up suffering for the greater good. Wasn’t that what Laura was doing? She didn’t want to worry her friends and she was protecting them, much like Mina was doing.

It all left an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

*

Carmilla woke up to a familiar blaring alarm. Groaning, she turned over to tell Laura to turn that god-awful noise off, only for the blonde to already have turned it off. Odd. Laura was already awake.

“Morning Cupcake.” She said, voice rough with sleep. “Have you been awake long?”

Laura looked over to her and smiled slightly. “No, not long.”

Carmilla was glad to see that Laura looked a little better today. She had regained some colour in her cheeks and her eyes had some of their spark left. But there was something else. A sadness emanated from her that caused the brunette to stand and sit on the side of Laura’s bed.

“Hey, what is it? What’s wrong?” she asked gently, hoping against hope that Laura would finally open up to her.

Surprisingly, Laura smiled shyly. “I was reading _Dracula_ and it, I don’t know,” she sighed, taking Carmilla’s hand in her own, “it just got to me. Y’know, Mina Harker struggled through so much and-” she stopped, blushing, “And that must seem really stupid.”

Carmilla smiled. Only Laura could get so emotional over a fictional character like Mina Harker. “And useless and sentimental. But it matters to you, so it is important.”

Laura smiled brightly before leaning forward and kissing Carmilla gently on the cheek before wrapping her arms around the brunette and pulling her down into a hug, causing a surprised chuckle to escape Carmilla’s lips. A pang of pain spread through Laura’s chest as she did so, but she pushed past it, choosing Carmilla over it instead.

Carmilla couldn’t help her smile and the light, warm feeling that spread through her. It was times like this that really highlighted to her that Laura was her everything. Yes, she had people like Mattie who she wouldn’t trade the world for, but Laura was something different. There was a pureness to her that Carmilla, with her dark past, couldn’t help but be drawn to, as Laura could cancel out what had happened to her and what she had done. That and, in the space of a few months, Laura had completely taken over her heart.

“So, I was thinking…” Laura began.

“Well, that can’t be good.” Carmilla interrupted, earning her a poke in the side.

“I’m serious, Carm.” The blonde pouted.

“Alright alright, what is it Creampuff?”

Laura took a deep breath, steeling herself. “I want to take you dancing when all this is over.”

If Carmilla had a heart, it would have skipped a beat. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. She had honestly been expecting Laura to say that she didn’t want to go today or something, but instead she wanted to take Carmilla out. To take her out to do something that she knew that she would enjoy.

“I think I would like that very much.” She said after a beat. She looked to see Laura beaming at her before leaning over to press a gentle kiss to Carmilla’s lips. It was chaste and quick but held so much promise for the future.

*

Danny, Kirsch, LaFontaine and Perry arrived at 11, one hour before they had to get to the Dean’s building. LaF had insisted on going over the plan before leaving so that everyone knew what they were meant to be dong and where they were meant to be. They had all dressed appropriately for a ‘covert operation’, with LaF and Perry decked out in black trousers and black turtlenecks, Danny and Kirsch both wore black jeans and baseball tees. Laura had opted to borrow some of Carmilla’s clothes and wore black jeans with an old dark band tee, topped with her own hoodie. Carmilla had opted for the leather pants and the red plaid shirt. She didn’t tell the others that she chose to wear red because blood doesn’t show as easily on red. She did, however, make it very clear how amused she was by the fact that they had all dressed for a _daytime_ operation as if they were going in the dead of night.

Carmilla was grateful that they had insisted because she was starting to get a little nervous about it. She would never admit it out loud, not even to Laura, but she hated the thought of going against her mother. And not to mention, Mattie was back in town. She hoped that Mattie was independent enough to not get involved, but she knew that she would have to keep her sister at bay if she did show up. She didn’t want anything to happen to Laura or to Mattie.

Carmilla looked down to where her fingers were entwined with Laura’s. The blonde had been rubbing gentle circles across the back of her hand with her thumb, unknowingly helping to settle the brunette’s nerves.

Carmilla kept her hand in Laura’s as the hour progressed; even when LaF handed out weapons to each and every one of them, the brunette stayed as close to Laura as possible. Of course, Carmilla was armed more lightly than the others, only having stakes and grenades whereas the others had silver and holy water on them. Carmilla wasn’t worried about having less; she knew she was more dangerous than all the toddlers together.

“It’s coming up to midday,” LaF announced, checking their watch. “We should get going.”

After checking their equipment one last time, the others made their way out of the room, leaving Laura and Carmilla in there together. Laura moved to follow the others, but Carmilla gently pulled her back.

“Hey.” The blonde said turning to face the brunette.

“Hey.” Laura knew that Carmilla was nervous. She knew, like the brunette, that Lilita Morgan was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

“We’re going to be alright.” Laura found herself saying, hoping that her words gave Carmilla more hope than they did her. “We have a pretty solid plan and we’ll be together.” Laura leant up and kissed Carmilla, her free hand going round to the back of Carmilla’s neck and drawing her closer. Laura could feel the tension melting off the brunette’s body as she did so.

As they pulled away, Carmilla looked at Laura with warm eyes.

“You’re right,” she said, starting to move after the others, “and there’s no way that Mammon knows our plan. We’re going to be fine.”

Laura couldn’t speak past the guilt that seemed to close up her throat. Silently, she followed Carmilla, knowing that things were about to go very much _not_ to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I ended up making this more fluffy than I had originally intended due to the pain from the most recent episodes.  
> As always, let me know what you thought and I'll respond to any reviews that I get.  
> Thanks for reading.


	15. Lesson Number Thirteen: Distract, Divert, Execute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura picks a side.

The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever. Laura had long gotten used to the stale air and the damp that they were walking through, but the darkness that pressed around her made her claustrophobic and anxious, not that she wasn’t nervous enough as it was. It invaded her senses, infiltrating into her lungs like a tangible substance and slithered into her peripherals like clawing hands. Normally the darkness didn’t bother her, but this was like a physical weight, pressing her in on all sides. That, or it was the knowledge that there was tonnes of earth above her.

Carmilla hadn’t let her hand go once since they had entered the tunnel and Laura couldn’t even begin to express how grateful she was. Feeling the familiarity of her girlfriend’s hand in her own helped to calm the blonde slightly. But there was a small part that wondered if Carmilla wanted reassurance as much as she did. And she was right. The pressing darkness reminded Carmilla all too much of the coffin of blood that had held her captive for those long years. The creeping darkness that invaded her senses was all too familial of the blood that she undyingly drowned in.

The only light they had were the three torches that LaF had packed, and, between the six of them, it wasn’t nearly enough light. It couldn’t pierce the veil of darkness that surrounded them very far, only showing the continuous tunnel of earth.

Laura couldn’t tell how long they had been in that tunnel, the darkness having taken all concept of time from her. She had no idea if they had been walking for five minutes or five hours. It unnerved her, not knowing what was around her, what time it was, what direction she was going in. All she knew was that there was a slight incline in the path, indicating that they were walking uphill. Her grip tightened on Carmilla’s hand, who, in turn, squeezed back. Darkness this encroaching does things to people.

“Hey guys, I see a light.” Danny’s voice broke the silence of the group, sounding far too loud in the darkness, even though she had spoken softly. Laura couldn’t help but look around uncomfortably, sure that someone had heard the redhead’s voice. Danny had opted to go first, followed obediently by Kirsch.

As they approached, Laura could see that the light was a dull grey sliver in the darkness much like it was coming from underneath the crack of a door.

Carmilla pushed forward, releasing Laura’s hand as she did so. She knew it was safest for her to go first as she would be able to see or hear if there was anyone nearby. Even her keen eyesight couldn’t make anything out in the darkness so she had to grope blindly until her fingers felt purchase on a doorknob that was crumbling with rust. Carefully, the brunette twisted it, not wanting to break the handle.

The door barely moved. For a moment, panic rushed through Carmilla. This was all too reminiscent of the coffin and the feeling of being trapped down here in this darkness made her feel dizzy. She pushed against the door harder, feeling it give a little more. She realised that it wasn’t stuck, there was something incredibly heavy behind it. Gritting her teeth, Carmilla dug her heels in and pushed even harder. The door quickly opened a few inches accompanied with the sound of smashing glass, causing everyone in the tunnel to tense.

Carmilla stayed incredibly still for a few minutes, straining her ears to catch any hint of a sound that would indicate that the smashing had been heard. The others waited with bated breaths, not daring to distract the vampire from her listening.

Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, Carmilla deemed it to be safe and managed to carefully push the door open a couple more inches, avoiding any more smashing sounds.

Poking her head through the gap, Carmilla was surprised to see that they had ended up in her mother’s wine cellar, located far beneath the Dean’s building. That would explain the smashing sounds – that and there were the remnants of two bottles of red wine littered across the floor. Listening and looking around she could hear nothing but the heartbeats of those behind her. Nor could she smell anything out of the ordinary. Vampires had scents, a tell-tale way to identify when there had been another nearby; and Carmilla wasn’t sensing any presences.

“It’s clear.” She said quietly.

Laura was the first to squeeze out, eyes wide and searching as she did her own surveillance of the area. Carmilla noticed how alert the smaller girl was as her eyes flitted across the room, checking every dark nook and cranny. Finally satisfied with the fact that there was nobody in the cellar apart from them, the blonde stood next to Carmilla, entwining their fingers yet again, both girls finding comfort in the other.

After Laura, LaFontaine and Perry squeezed out, LaF defensively standing before a cautious looking Perry. Then came Danny and Kirsch. Both, being considerably taller than the others, struggled a little more out of the gap, but managed to get out without knocking any more wine from the wine rack.

“Where are we?” Danny asked softly.

“The wine cellar.” Carmilla answered, equally as softly. “It’s far below the building but possible to get to the Dean’s quarters from.”

Danny motioned for Carmilla to lead the way. They had agreed to speak as little as possible for fear of being overheard. They had one chance to do this and they couldn’t fail.

Carmilla made her way to where she knew the stairs out of the cellar were, her hand never leaving Laura’s.

As they ascended, Carmilla became aware of the distant sound of music. She frowned as she listened, trying to pin point where it was coming from, but to no avail. Instead, she motioned for the others to keeps their eyes and ears open.

The door to the cellar was another heavy one, but, with nothing obstructing it, Carmilla opened it with ease. She glanced round the corner of the doorframe and listened for any sign of someone.

Motioning the others to follow, she began to move towards the stairs, letting go of Laura’s hand so that they could go single-file. Peering around another corner, she couldn’t see anyone, nor could she hear anything. The music was getting louder too.

“What’s she doing?” LaF quietly asked. There had been no one around yet and the Dean was playing super loud music. It all seemed too easy to be true. “Why is she playing music?”

Carmilla shrugged. “She always did.” She cocked her head and listened before making a revolted face. “Ugh she’s listening to Arvo Pärt’s _Credo_. Suits her perfectly, to be honest.”

 Setting off again, Carmilla tried to ignore how much the music set her on edge. It was as if Pärt had crawled out of Hell chased by demons and had managed to immortalise the feeling within music. She _hated_ it.

Four flights up and Carmilla was starting to get suspicious. It was all going so smoothly. Surely it shouldn’t be going this well?

The corridors were extravagant, to say the least. Dark wood and blood red paint adorned the walls. Carmilla knew from experience not to look too hard at the wood as there were demonic faces worked into the knots of the wood. Against most walls were bookcases filled with big old books with worrying titles: _The Art of Bottling Death_ ; _Death, Life and Grey Matter_ ; _Common Errors in Selling Your Soul for Earthly Gain and Glory_ ; _Thirty-Minute Exorcising Workout for All_ … Laura was fascinated and appalled at the same time.

They were two corridors from the entrance to the Dean’s private quarters when Carmilla stopped dead in her tracks, causing the others to nearly bump into her.

_Oh God, please no_.

A cold, amused laugh rang through the corridor and Mattie stepped out before them.

“My my, aren’t we in trouble?”

Carmilla’s back was rigid as she took in the sight of her sister, flanked by two gladiators. Carmilla had never seen these helmets before but she knew the faces well.

The gladiators wore identical helmets with a single face produced on each one. It was a face that haunted her. The Dean’s. But it wasn’t her cold, disaffected face, no. it was her monstrous on. The one that Carmilla didn’t that often. The helmets weren’t trying to be pretty. They were created to instil fear within those who looked upon them. It was clear that Lilita Morgan had constructed herself to be the new Medusa; all who dared look upon her face would be met with death. A bold move but an accurate claim.

As she looked at the faces, Laura couldn’t help but think of the Weeping Angels.

The masks had small eye holes, surrounded by wrinkles as the mouth of the monster-Dean was opened wide and bearing long, sharp teeth. There was an unmistakable evil to the face, an otherworldliness that screamed against the fabric of all that was good. What was particularly unnerving was how much life each face seemed to have to it. Maybe it was the living eyes behind the mask but Laura wouldn’t have been surprised if the faces began to move.

Seeing other gladiators, she subtly stepped back, behind the others, closer to the window. If they noticed, they didn’t show it. For now all focus was on the gladiators and the vampire between them. She knew that the gladiators would recognise her, but if it came to a fight, she couldn’t pick a side, not easily anyway.

Her plan, however, seemed to be going perfectly.

“Mattie. You don’t have to do this.” Carmilla pleaded. “You don’t have to be the monster mother created you to be.”

Mattie laughed again. “Oh my darling you have no idea what it takes to be a monster.” Carmilla frowned. “No, you were never a monster, and yet,” she gave a delighted squeal, “there is a monster among you.” She laughed as if she had just told the funniest joke and Laura grit her teeth. “You are running out of time to pick a side, _Minerva_.”

“What the Hell does that mean?” Danny said harshly. Mattie smiled coyly, only serving to anger the redhead more. “Tell me or I’ll-“

“You’ll what? Stake me? Burn me alive? You don’t stand a chance against me you pathetic little girl.”

Danny opened her mouth to retaliate but the sound of heavy footsteps caught everyone’s attention. They turned just as a beast of a man, wearing another of the Dean-masks, barrelled into Laura, his own momentum making it impossible for him to stop and the two of them went crashing through the window.

“LAURA!” Carmilla shrieked, rushing to get to the window but she was blocked off by two more gladiators. “Get out of my way or I swear I’ll rip you a new one.” Her threats fell on deaf ears as the gladiators didn’t move. As she moved to attack them, two more gladiators stepped forward, weapons drawn and forced Carmilla back.

“Oh what a shame. The meddling little girl had it coming her way if you ask me.” Mattie drawled, as if the whole scene bored her.

“No one did ask you, you evil old hag.” Perry snapped, surprising everybody. No one had expected the usually genteel redhead to have such venom in her words.

Mattie cocked her head at Perry. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

Carmilla watched the interaction as if she weren’t there herself. She had to get away from the others. She had to get to Laura. The small girl would be hurt after that fall. They were three storeys high and _she had to help Laura_. Part of her wondered how they were cornered. It was as if they had _known_ that they were coming. It would explain why it had been so easy. They had been drawn into a trap.

“Did you really expect it to be that easy Mircalla?”

Carmilla froze, her blood turning to ice in her veins. She slowly looked up and saw the Dean approaching, a victorious smirk upon her face. She stopped beside Mattie and looked to the broken window.

She sighed. “Now I’m going to have to get that window fixed. This is a listed building you know.” Carmilla bristled at the offhand element to her voice and comment. Laura had been the victim. Laura needed her. “Oh darling you were always such a romantic. But that one wasn’t right for you.”

“You didn’t have to kill her!” LaF shouted angrily.

The Dean pursed her lips. “Kill her? How dramatic. But it was unfortunate wasn’t it? But her life is mine to do with however I choose and if she dies, she dies.”

Carmilla growled audibly at the woman whom she once called _mother_. How dare she even think that she had any such claim over Laura!

“Oh really now Mircalla, don’t be childish.” The Dean scolded.

Danny, sensing the situation had long since been out of their hands nodded slightly to Kirsch. Taking two grenades from her belt, she pulled the pin and threw them powerfully to Mattie and the Dean whilst Kirsch grabbed Carmilla round the waist and turned his whole body so that he was shielding her from the explosion of holy water that immediately followed. Using the steam from the grenades to their advantage, they made a break for it.

Carmilla grit her teeth against the pain of the steam against her bare skin and ran after the others, throwing two gladiators against the wall as hard as she could as she did so. Not waiting to see if they were going to get up she followed the others. Grabbing the side of the nearest bookcase she tugged it hard, toppling it across the corridor.

She turned to the others, “We have to get out now!” turning down the corridor, she turned the corner to find their path blocked by more gladiators.

They were trapped.

*

Laura coughed and a searing pain shot through her ribs, causing her to lose her breath for a moment. The pain was unlike anything she had known before stabbing at her from all sides and setting an iron fist clamping down upon her lungs and heart. The inability to breath made her eyes go blurry and, in an effort to take her focus from the pain, she tried to remember what happened.

_The window_.

Of course. Taylor had stuck to the plan to a fault. It had been the simplest (and dumbest) idea that they had had in order to get away from the others with enough time to ensure that their own plan was put into effect.

Groaning, she pushed herself up, feeling the soft carpet beneath her feet. That wasn’t right. She should be outside. But she was inside. She blinked, trying to gather her thoughts.

“You’re awake, thank god.” Taylor hurried over to her. Laura was glad he had gotten rid of the Lilita-helmet. He was covered in shallow little cuts and Laura could see he was favouring his left side and a deep bruise was forming on his right cheekbone. “I thought for a moment that I had killed you.” He shakily breathed out in relief before offering his hand to Laura to take. She did and he gently pulled her to her feet. Laura tested her weight on her legs and other than feeling a little bruised they weren’t broken or severely damaged. “You weren’t waking up, but you weren’t dead so I thought I should carry on anyway in case you did wake up.” Taylor was rambling. Taylor only rambled when he had taken a pretty nasty blow to the head.

Something told Laura that they didn’t have that much time.

Looking around, Laura could see that Taylor had brought her to near where Lilita’s study was. This was going well for them, but at what cost? She could hear the sounds of fighting nearby and knew that she had thrown her friends under the bus in order to carry out her own plan. But it was for the greater good, right?

“Let’s go.” She said, grabbing Taylor’s hand and starting towards the back room of Lilita’s study. She had personally never been in there herself but she knew that there was a vault in there where Lilita kept her blood supplies. She had had no idea where the blood had been stored until she had last met with the Dean. She remembered how Domina had entered with a blood cocktail for Lilita and had immediately left again. As the building was old and the floorboards creaked under any mortals footsteps, and Laura listened as Domina went into a room that seemed to be behind Mammon’s study. It was a long shot, but Laura had no other plan and at this stage they so little to go on that they had to jump on any piece of information.

Laura had never been to this part of the building before; she had always been escorted through the same way but she had studied the map that Perry had managed to acquire and so she knew that she was headed in the right direction.

Laura and Taylor came to a stop outside a plain, dark wood door. Fairly certain that this was in fact the door that Domina had gone through, Laura carefully placed her hand on the doorknob and twisted.

She, admittedly, hadn’t expected the door to open so easily. Surprised, she and Taylor stood in the doorway, looking into the dark room for a moment before they both realised that time was of the essence. Finding the light switch, Taylor flicked it on, illuminating the room.

If Laura thought that the rest of the building had been creepy, she was wrong. In comparison to this room, the rest of the building looked like an emporium of wonders. This room was painted black, but rather than being regular black paint, Laura was sure that there was something odd about the colour. It seemed to suck in the light and warmth from the rest of the building and instead it left a cold void. Instantly, Laura didn’t want to go in.

But it got worse.

The room held four paintings, one on each wall. Laura couldn’t help but think back to Carmilla saying that the song that had been playing – _Credo_ was it? – sounded like Hell, and that it was fitting of Lilita. And the paintings in this room only served to reinforce the idea. Taking a step in, Laura came face to face with something she didn’t understand, and hoped she never would. A painting depicting two Hellish figures, clearly powerful but they radiated an evil, like Tolkien’s _Balrog_ , she thought distractedly. It wasn’t a large painting at all, but Laura couldn’t help but be drawn into staring at it. It made her skin crawl and set unease crawling along her bones. Ripping her eyes from the image she saw a little plaque on the frame which read _The Great Dragon and the Beast of the Sea_ by William Blake.

Turning away she was faced with a painting that she liked even less than the one before. It was much larger and looked like the scene from a terrible nightmare. She could see the title: _The Nightmare_ by Johan Henry Fuseli – a fitting title if there ever was one. She couldn’t stop staring at the little troll like figure that sat upon the woman. Much like the previous painting, this set her nerves on edge as she couldn’t tear her eyes away from those of the troll who seemed to be looking back at her, judging her, questioning her. It was as if the very painting was alive and looking into her soul, surveying the darkness that had started to flourish there. Beside the troll was a horse – was it blind? – Laura didn’t know. What did it all mean? At the very back of her mind, the journalist in her wanted answers, to understand the unknown, but, looking at this, she wondered _why_? Why did she put so much effort in to helping others when she just wanted to be allowed to exist…?

“What fresh Hell?” Taylor stood beside Laura, shaking the girl from the stupor that the painting had induced. Wait, was it possible for a painting to do that? Was this Lilita’s doing?

The next wall was no better. Whereas the troll in the painting before had been scrutinising her, the figure in this piece radiated insanity. The whites of his eyes held Laura’s focus in the dark painting as she observed this great bearded figure devouring the small body he held. Laura couldn’t help but wonder if this was the atmosphere that Carmilla had grown in. She could understand why Carmilla thought she was a monster if she had been surrounded by images like this. The title read _Saturn Devouring His Son_ by Francisco Goya and the blonde couldn’t help but wonder if Carmilla had been shown this as a threat from her mother: _disobey me and you shall be destroyed_.

Turning to the last wall, Laura braced for another disturbing painting. Instead she was confronted with a painting that even she had seen before. The small round image of Medusa screamed out at her, the gorgon’s eyes fixed on some terrible evil that Laura couldn’t see, but in this room, she could feel. This was another painting that felt alive to Laura; she could imagine the snakes writhing as they died along with their mistress, she could imagine the heavy flood of blood that rained from the severed neck, she could see the shock and confusion at how this could happen to such a powerful being. And in some awful way, Laura pitied her. She pitied this creature that had never wished to become a monster had become some trophy for a hero to claim. Vengeance and murder were different right? She had paid dearly for her arrogance by becoming this monster, but she was still killed. As if one punishment was not enough. Laura couldn’t help but wonder if Lilita identified with Medusa.

Other than the paintings, the room was empty.

Laura spun, looking for anything at this point. She couldn’t give up now, not when she had risked so much in order to get here. She could feel Taylor looking around as well and tried to ignore the panic at the thought that this had been for nothing.

_Think Laura think! Domina had come in here but there was nothing here. She can’t have come in just to admire the artwork._

Laura paused. _The artwork_. It was cliché beyond belief but it was possible. If Lilita hid something behind a painting, it was going to be an important one. Mammon was so self-assured that no one would dare attack her in her own building that she might have overlooked the obviousness of the choice.

Looking at each painting in turn, trying to decipher a hidden meaning behind it, Laura frowned. They all had possible meanings. _The Great Dragon and the Beast of the Sea_ could be a reference to Lophiiformes and the Dean’s constant attempt to keep it at bay, _The Nightmare_ could resemble everything that was Lilita Morgan and all that she had experienced, _Saturn Devouring His Son_ could be a reminder to not cross her. And then there was _Medusa_. Laura wouldn’t have understood it if she hadn’t seen the helmets that Lilita had made all the gladiators wear. She was sure that Lilita saw herself as Medusa: a beautiful woman who had paid dearly for her arrogance but who could kill with a single gaze.

Taking a deep breath, Laura crossed to where the painting of Medusa hung. It wasn’t very big and was weathered, causing Laura to wonder if this was indeed the original, painted by Caravaggio, five hundred years ago. But what was five hundred years to a vampire who outdated history?

Gently placing her fingers against the edge of the frame, she pushed the artwork up and off from the hook that it hung from.

Laura didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the small metal safe that lay behind it. She had found it, the place where Lilita kept her blood, but it was locked away from her by the cold walls of a safe.

“You found it?” Taylor sounded like he couldn’t believe it either.

Gently he pushed past Laura who still held the priceless painting in her hands. She didn’t want to put it down for fear of damaging it which would both be a terrible thing to do, but would also alert Lilita to the fact that there had been someone in this nightmare room.

However, she couldn’t just do nothing but Taylor seemed to be trying the combination lock. Laura didn’t know much about locks like this, but in films there were only a certain number of attempts that someone got at cracking the code and she hoped that this wasn’t the case here. However, the longer she waited, the faster her heart beat as her ears strained to hear any sign of someone approaching. The fact that Taylor was whispering and swearing under his breath did little to calm her nerves.

Twice he had to reset the combination and Laura’s palms grew sweaty and she tried to relax by taking deep breaths but it only served to cause more discomfort, only this time from agonising pain. In the shock of finding the room and the safe, Laura had forgotten momentarily that she was actually rather badly hurt.

A soft click and a hiss brought Laura’s attention back to the matter at hand. She watched as Taylor stepped back and the safe door opened, releasing a cold mist into the room. He had done it. Taylor had managed to break the lock. Laura made a mental note to ask him how he had done it when they had gotten out of the building.

A loud crash from overhead caused both blondes to jump and look up, realising that their time was running out. However, the sound of heels clicking upon the floorboards made Laura’s blood run cold. She knew that only one person wore heels around this place and if Lilita was heading this way then they had to leave now. They couldn’t risk getting caught.

“Do it!” Taylor whispered frantically, shoving a small syringe into Laura’s hands. “Put half of this into each bag. I’ll try to slow down the Dean _but hurry_.”

Without waiting for Laura to respond, the beefy blond ran from the room and left Laura to finish the job. Carefully placing the painting down, she reached into the safe and extracted the two blood bags that were there. Taking out the small syringe, she took off the plastic protector that covered the needle. Slotting it gently into the hard plastic opening of the blood bag she carefully injected half of the ruddy brown coloured liquid into the blood before putting that blood bag back into the safe before injecting the rest of the liquid into the last blood bag.

She almost threw the blood into the safe and closed the door to it as quietly as possible before lifting the painting back onto the hook, careful to angle it so that it was the same as before.

The sound of heels was getting louder and louder and Laura rushed to get out of the room, stuffing the used syringe into her pocket, and almost forgetting to turn the light off as she went. Shutting the door quietly behind her, she ran round the corner, hoping that her increased heartrate would slow.

Laura could hear that Mammon was only around the corner and knew that she couldn’t outrun her so she did the first thing she could think of, and waited for Lilita Morgan to round the corner.

*

Carmilla let the whip wrap around her wrist before twisting her hand, grabbing it and pulling. Her opponent, a short woman with harsh cold eyes and long dark hair, stumbled forward against the vampire’s strength. Carmilla had heard her mother call this one ‘Domina’ so she knew that this was the one who trained the gladiators.

But she was no match for Carmilla.

The vampire spun under a blow from Domina’s sword and brought her elbow straight to the woman’s breastbone, making her double over. Without giving her a moment’s respite, Carmilla grabbed her by the neck and threw her into the reitarius that was trying to corner Perry and Kirsch, knocking both gladiator and Domina down the stairs.

Carmilla turned to see Danny and LaF manage to dodge the spear of a Hoplomachus, the shorter redhead producing a flashing ball of light and momentarily blinding the gladiator whilst Danny used the distraction to her advantage and swung a plank of wood, softball-style, straight at the gladiator’s head, smashing into the weird Dean-helmet and sending him crumpling to the ground.

“Go!” Carmilla shouted, the others not needing to be told twice.

Running down the stairs, Carmilla shouldered into Domina who was getting to her feet, sending her sprawling, before kicking the fallen retiarius in the head and knocking them out completely. Just as she moved to follow the others down to the wine cellar, the vampire stumbled.

For a moment she wasn’t sure what had happened. She frowned and blinked. It had felt like someone had hit her in the shoulder, but there was no one close to her. And there was something else. The room seemed to be slanted, even though she knew it was flat. Her vision went in and out of focus; a very uncomfortable feeling for a vampire who usually had crystal clear sight. Looking down, she saw a black arrow protruding from her left shoulder, right above where her heart was. As she looked, crimson blossomed from the wound, spreading across her shirt, causing her shirt to darken and stick to her skin.

And then the pain hit. Carmilla wanted to scream but she couldn’t move her mouth like she wanted to. Her teeth ground together so hard she was surprised that they didn’t shatter. The pain caused a buzzing to ring in her ears and the floor tilted so suddenly that she thought it turned upside down. She was only mildly aware of two pairs of strong arms wrap around her, keeping her on her feet.

Accompanying the pain was a searing numbness, spreading from her shoulder through her body. It coursed down her arm and she faintly wondered if there was any point in keeping such a useless limb.

Carmilla’s eyes drooped and she became aware of the crushing tiredness that had taken over her body. She tried to fight it at first, thinking of Laura, but then, she remembered that Laura was gone.

Closing her eyes, she let the darkness overtake her.

*

Lilita Morgan turned the corner to her study and was only mildly surprised to see Laura Hollis waiting for her, leaning against the wall. Lilita observed the girl with great interest. Covered in mainly shallow cuts and developing bruises, the small girl looked bored as she observed her nails.

Clearing her throat, Laura spun towards the Dean, relaxing when she saw who it was. She inclined her head in a semi-bow.

“Laura, I didn’t expect to see you here.” Even she was surprised that after a short time of working for her, Laura no longer seemed to fear the Dean like she used to. She respected her, yes, and she obeyed each and every order. What Lilita had been particularly shocked by was Laura telling her about this plan that Carmilla and her little friends had today. It was possible that without Laura warning her that the consequences could have been much worse. It appeared that all of Lilita’s efforts into shaping Laura had succeeded.

_Laura Hollis was hers_.

“No, I hadn’t planned on staying, but I was curious to know what happened.”

“And you didn’t think to ask your friends?”

“I didn’t know they would still be alive.” The blonde said simply, shrugging as she did so. Lilita beamed at the answer. It had worked. And clearly Laura had lost her connection to her friends and to Carmilla.

Carmilla had betrayed Lilita for this girl, and so Lilita had exacted the perfect revenge. She had turned all that Carmilla loved against her (and turning her into the perfect soldier was an added bonus).

“Well they are. Although I’m not sure if Carmilla will be for much longer.” A test. Lilita watched Laura like a hawk for a reaction, but she was only met with an uninterested eyebrow raise. “Does that not bother you? After all, it was for them that you were doing all this.”

Laura cocked her head. “But you were right. What am I to them other than a play thing? As Spartaca, I get to be the one in control.” She paused and thought for a moment before adding, “I have chosen my side.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another cliffhanger! Apologies.  
> I would highly recommend listening to Arvo Pärt’s 'Credo' as it really does create a tense atmosphere and check out the paintings I used cause they really are creepy.  
> Thank you so much for reading and, as always, let me know what you thought.   
> Feel free to find me on tumblr at warrioroftheice.


	16. Lesson Number Fourteen: Keep Your Friends Close And Your Enemies Closer

Carmilla was heavier than she looked and Danny couldn’t help but wonder if it was her hundreds of years of living that weighed down upon her. Between the redhead and Kirsch, they managed to half-carry, half-drag Carmilla back to the dorm room, knowing that they had no other option. The vampire had bought them enough time to get out of the building before she got shot.

It was a decision that weighed heavily on every single one of them.

They had had to retreat one person down. Laura was gone. They didn’t know if she survived the fall from the window but from that height it was more likely than not that she didn’t. But they didn’t find out. They couldn’t. As they raced from the building, the Dean’s gladiators were hot on their heels and they didn’t want Spartaca showing up. They couldn’t fight her. Especially not with an unconscious Carmilla.

And so they found themselves back in the dorm room; one person short.

Danny and Kirsch carefully placed Carmilla on her bed whilst Perry rushed to the fridge for blood and LaFontaine inspected the wound. The arrow was buried deep in Carmilla’s chest, only narrowly avoiding her heart. LaF knew little about vampire biology – something that they hoped to improve upon in the future – but they assumed that if Carmilla consumed blood and began healing before the arrow was out then it would cause more harm than good.

That left them with one other option.

Carefully grasping the arrow, LaF snapped the shaft as close to where it protruded from Carmilla as they dared. They didn’t know if they could afford to be particularly gentle about extracting the remaining piece of arrow but they didn’t want to wait any longer than necessary. Pulling a pair of pliers from their utility belt they set to work dislodging the arrow from inside the vampire’s chest.

As LaF busied themselves with that, Danny looked around at the others. They had been unprepared, despite their planning. They hadn’t expected to be caught or to have to fight and so everyone had their own injuries. Danny looked over to Kirsch who sat on Laura’s bed, slumped over, holding his ribs. He had taken a pretty nasty jab from the gladiator with the trident and had his hand pressed to the wound, although it did little to stop the flow of blood from leaking between his fingers. But he was conscious and after LaF had finished with Carmilla, she would ask them to take care of Kirsch.

Perry, on the other hand, seemed to be suffering from some sort of shock. She still had a thick hardback book clutched tightly in her hand that she had been using to pummel people with, but otherwise she seemed physically unscathed. Mentally, Danny wasn’t so sure. The curly redhead was stood there, in the middle of the room, just staring at wall, barely blinking. Danny made her way to the Floor Don and helped her sit on Laura’s bed next to Kirsch.

LaF and Danny were both burned from the light device that LaF had constructed which they had effectively used to blind the gladiator that the two of them had been fighting. Danny had taken a blow to the face from the butt of a spear and she could feel the ache of bruising and when she ran her tongue across her lower lip she could feel a split. LaF, whilst burnt, had been thrown particularly heavily against the wall and Danny could now see that they were favouring their shoulder.

“Got it!” LaF exclaimed loudly, causing everyone to jump as they brandished the bloody, barbed end of the arrow above their head. “Perr, the blood.”

Perry nodded and stood, shakily trying to open the carton until LaF took her hand and helped her. Together they gently poured the blood into Carmilla’s mouth whilst Danny held the brunette’s head back so that the blood could run down her throat without risk.

The three redheads stepped back as they waited with bated breaths for any sign of life from Carmilla.

Danny couldn’t believe how relieved she was when she saw the slight frown form on the vampire’s forehead. However, if Carmilla was waking up, Danny knew that she would have to tell the brunette about Laura and it was a thought that made her feel sick.

Carmilla groaned quietly and her eyes flickered open, pupils reacting harshly against the light in the room. For a moment she was disoriented, not knowing where she was and trying to piece together what had happened.

It all came back in a flash and Carmilla sat bolt upright, dizzy from the pain in her chest but doing her best to ignore it.

“What happened? Where’s Laura?”

*

Laura forced herself to take each step back to her dorm. When the rush of adrenaline had subsided, the blonde realised quite how hurt she was. Breathing caused her ribs to burn with such pain that Laura had ever experienced and she was increasingly sure that she had landed on her right side from the fall from the window as her right leg throbbed right down to the bone and her right shoulder kept popping in its socket whenever she moved it. _That’s going to cause trouble when fighting_ , she thought morbidly.

But, that wasn’t what worried her at the moment. Lilita had said that Carmilla might not be alive for much longer and Laura had no idea what that meant. She didn’t know what had happened with her friends or even if they had managed to escape. The thought sent petrified chills throughout Laura’s entire being and gave her the extra strength that she needed to make it back to her room.

She tried to think about other things to take her mind off the panic that the thought of Carmilla hurt caused. She focused on everything else that had happened since the fall. She and Taylor had found the blood. She had injected the blood with the strange liquid that Taylor had given her and now it was only a waiting game to see if Lilita was going to drink it. _They had done it_. There was no going back now. God Laura hoped that this would work. She knew that if the calculations were incorrect then Lilita would know it was her. If Lilita survived then it was all over. Laura would be killed and her friends would die. Laura couldn’t believe that she was more scared about the plan now that she had executed it than she had been beforehand. Everything rested on Taylor’s calculations being correct. There was nothing more she could do, was there?

Finally she made it to her building after limping slowly across campus. Mammon had said that she was not to take any medication for her injuries should the others suspect her quick recovery. She had to heal naturally this time. The next few days were going to be slow and incredibly painful.

Once Laura got to her room, she hesitated. What if she opened the door and her friends weren’t in there? What if it was too late for Carmilla? The thoughts swirled dizzily around her head making her hold the wall for support as the hallway spun sickeningly. She had to open the door, she knew it, but she really didn’t want to. _You can do this Hollis. All at once, like ripping off a Band-Aid_ , she mentally prepared herself.

With as deep a breath as she could muster, Laura opened the door slowly, nearly fainting in relief when she saw everyone in there.

Her friends sat silently each to their own thoughts. Laura could see that they had been in the fight from the array of injuries, from Danny’s beat-up face, to LaF’s burnt arm that was wrapped in a sling to Kirsch’s – wait was that a stab wound? Perry looked the most physically unharmed, but Laura didn’t think that she was alright from the distant look in her wide eyes.

Then Laura’s eyes fell on Carmilla.

The brunette was sat on Laura’s bed clasping the blonde’s yellow pillow, staring vacantly at the wall behind her computer. Laura was thrilled to see that she was alive, well, undead, but her joy was short lived when she saw the blood on the front of the brunette’s top. Lilita was right, Carmilla had been hurt and by the looks of it she was refusing treatment.

So caught up in their own individual thoughts, nobody had noticed Laura’s entrance until she closed the door behind her with a little more force than necessary. The noise seemed to finally bring the others out of their stupor and Danny was the first to react, her eyes darting to the door and her hand inching towards a stake as the bang of the door echoed through the room. Her movements stilled, however, when she took in the sight before her.

“Laura?” she choked out, not daring to believe that the blonde was there. She looked like Hell, but she was alive.

Carmilla hadn’t reacted when the door slammed, not caring if her mother’s minions had come to finish them off. But when Danny had said that name in such a broken, yet hopeful voice, she nearly snapped her back from twisting so quickly.

Laura – her Laura – stood leaning against the closed door. Carmilla could hear the blonde’s heartbeat, could see the light and life in her eyes. There was no mistaking it. _Laura was alive_. More than anything she wanted to run over and take Laura in her arms, feel the blonde’s life beneath her fingers, tell her everything was going to be alright, be told everything was going to be alright. But she couldn’t. Laura had been hurt because of her. She had nearly lost Laura and the pain had been worse than being shot in the chest with an arrow. So much worse. It had been like her heart was ripped from her body and had then been torn to shreds.

So she stayed back.

In fact, the others were hesitant to approach Laura as well. They all shared the same thought; _they had left her behind_. Laura was the one that the Dean wanted most of all and they had left her when things got a bit too out of hand. They had no idea what had happened to the tiny blonde but they could tell from her appearance that she was badly hurt.

“Laura…” Danny said again, finding no other words to say than the girl’s name. What could she say to someone that she had left to die? That had gone against everything her sisterhood had ever taught her.

Laura inclined her head to Danny. She wasn’t actually that surprised that everyone was being so hesitant with her. They _had_ left her behind after all. But that didn’t concern her. Carmilla was her main priority.

Limping over to where the vampire stood, as unmoving as a marble sculpture, Laura stopped before her. Up close, Laura could see the hole in Carmilla’s shirt and the puncture wound beyond it. She could tell it had been close. The wound was not far from her heart and if it had been any nearer, the blonde wasn’t sure that Carmilla could have survived.

Lifting her less painful arm up, Laura cupped Carmilla’s cheek in her hand, feeling the familiar smooth skin beneath her fingers and the warmth that radiated from the other girl. The blonde’s heart fluttered with relief when Carmilla leaned into the touch, her eyes flickering closed for a moment.

“I thought I had lost you.” Laura said quietly, her tired voice echoing around the otherwise silent room.

Carmilla’s eyes widened in surprise. Laura was worried about _her_? Even when the blonde was so hurt? Carmilla took a moment to truly observe Laura’s state. The skin on her face and arms resembled cracked porcelain it was covered in so many cuts. The brunette could see a galaxy of darkening shades of bruising that blossomed along the right side of Laura’s face and body and she feared how black the blonde’s torso would be judging by how she was holding herself.

Seeing the brunette evaluate her injuries made Laura feel uncomfortable. And Carmilla was still being a little distant with her. So she took the initiative. Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around Carmilla, holding her close, letting her know that she was alright, that she was alive, that she cared so much for the vampire.

After a long moment, Carmilla brought her arms to gently return Laura’s embrace. She didn’t want to hurt her but the feeling of her in her arms again brought so many emotions crashing through Carmilla. She had thought that she had lost Laura. But now she had her back she realised that _she needed her_. She needed Laura far much more than Laura needed her. And she had been blessed with another chance with the girl whom she loved. She’d never let anything bad happen to Laura ever again.

Tightening her arms ever so slightly and gripping onto Laura, the brunette finally let herself fully open her heart to the girl who kept coming back to her.

After what seemed like an age the two parted, chestnut eyes meeting chocolate ones, and Laura turned to the others whilst linking her fingers with Carmilla’s.

“So, what happened?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter but an important reunion one.   
> I just wanted to thank everyone who has read this story, commented on it, given me kudos. It means the world to me.  
> As always, let me know what you thought.  
> Come find me on tumblr: warrioroftheice


	17. Lesson Number Fifteen: The Waiting Game

Laura wanted nothing more than to go to bed and sleep off the pain.

Her friends, however, had other ideas.

“Laura we’re not leaving you. You need medical attention.” Danny said, trying her hardest to remain calm. She, like the others, had gotten over the relief of seeing Laura still alive, only to be confronted with the crushing worry that the small blonde was seriously injured.

“I’m-“

“Don’t you dare say that you’re alright because you clearly aren’t.” Danny interjected.

Laura sighed, wincing at the fire that still burnt through her ribs. She knew that she wasn’t alright. She knew that she probably should get medical attention. But she couldn’t. She knew Lilita monitored the medical facilities of the university and she didn’t know how she would react if the others were there. Laura had told her that she was on her side so she didn’t know if their deal was still valid. She couldn’t get medical attention. Not at the risk of her friends’ lives.

“Look, I really don’t want to go back outside. I don’t know if _she’s_ waiting…” Laura didn’t need to explain who _she_ was. In fact the others had had the same thought. They had all made it out. There was no doubt that the Dean was furious about the fact that Carmilla had led an attack against her in her own home. And the fact that they had all left alive would only add salt to the wound.

“She’s got a point,” LaF agreed, earning them glares from the others. “Why take her to get medical attention if she’s only going to die anyway?”

A growl ripped from Carmilla’s throat. “No one is going to kill her. I won’t let anyone get to her.” she snarled.

Sensing this was getting out of hand, Laura decided to intervene.

“Hey, Carm, you have a medical degree right? Can’t you look me over?” her eyes pleaded with the brunette to agree. Carmilla could never say no to those eyes.

“Yeah, of course I will-“

“With the rest of us.” Danny butted in.

“What, don’t think I’m good enough, you sentient beanpole?”

“That’s not it. Don’t think that you were the only one that thought they had lost her today. I want to see for myself that Laura’s alright, Snackula.”

Carmilla opened her mouth to argue that she was Laura’s girlfriend, not Danny, when Kirsch painfully got to his feet and stood between the two.

“Look, I enjoy it when babes fight… _in mud wearing bikinis_. That’s the only way babes should fight. Not like this. I wanna know that Little L is gonna be alright.” He grunted against the pain in his side. “LaF did a pretty good job in stitching me up. Let them look at Laura too.”

It was sobering for Danny and Carmilla to be put in their place by Kirsch. The beefcake had spoken through gritted teeth, ignoring his own pain and discomfort for Laura. He was right when he said that the blonde was their main priority at the moment. Sheepishly, they looked to the girl in question.

But Laura was barely paying attention. Her peripherals were blurring into a dark haziness. She must have hit her head harder than she had thought. Blinking slowly she looked at the others who were looking at her with concern. She could see that Carmilla wanted to help her but there was still the guilt that this was all her fault holding her back.

“Please don’t argue anymore.” Laura sighed. “I am so tired and can’t have you fighting. Please.” She looked at each and every one of them. “LaFontaine will make sure I’m fine. Totally _objectively_.”

Carmilla opened her mouth to argue but an apologetic look from Laura told her that this was what the blonde needed. It was nothing against the brunette. Of course she wanted to stay but she respected Laura too much to try and fight her on this. In fact, a large part of why Laura wanted only LaF there was because she didn’t want to worry Carmilla.

Perry, thankfully, understood how much Laura needed this and ushered an unhappy Danny and Kirsch out of the room followed closely by Carmilla who smiled sadly but reassuringly at the blonde, leaving Laura with LaF who was looking on expectantly.

“L, I know that you’re not comfortable with showing weakness but we are your friends. You got hurt for us. We won’t think badly about you for that.” LaF said gently, urging Laura to show them the full extent of her injuries.

The blonde hesitated. There was no way around this, and LaF was more than capable at making sure she might be alright. Clenching her jaw tightly, she slipped her hoodie from her arms, revealing the latticework of scratches across her arms and neck. Laura tried to ignore the hard glint that came into LaF’s eyes.

Laura looked down at her own arms and grimaced. A deep gash ran along the length of her right forearm, disrupting the web of shallower scratches and cuts.

“Jesus, L.” LaF muttered, eyes skimming over the blonde’s arms and resting on the gash. Instantly their science side took over and they rushed over to get their first aid kit.  Producing a pair of tweasers, LaF urged Laura to sit down on the side of her bed, monitoring her reaction as she did. “Laura there’s still glass in this. I’m going to have to remove it but I used up my Amethocaine – uh, numbing gel – on the others, so this is going to hurt.”

Laura shrugged, wincing at the pain that the simple action caused. “It can’t be worse than how I’m feeling now. Go ahead.”

_Pain is just a concept._

LaF kept a close eye on the blonde as they carefully removed the glass from her arm. They were actually surprised at how little reaction Laura had to it as it wasn’t a small piece of glass either. Sighing when it had been fully extracted, they set about sewing up the gash until Laura stopped them.

“You don’t have to sew it up. Just bind it or something.”

“I don’t want it to get infected. And it’s going to be a pretty big scar either way. Don’t you want it to be a neat one at least?”

Laura hesitated. She really couldn’t be bothered with being stitched up right now, but she knew that LaF would tell the others and this was as good a compromise as she was going to get so instead she just nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

Luckily for her, however, LaF was a very efficient worker and had cleanly stitched up the gash in what felt like no time at all. That or Laura was losing track of time which really wouldn’t bode well for her. LaF also made quick work of cleaning the other cuts on her arm which she thankfully didn’t need to be stitched.

Then came the part that Laura was dreading. Slowly and painfully Laura managed to get her top off, hissing through clenched teeth as the motion caused her to stretch her damaged torso.

Laura was aware of LaF swearing once they took in the full sight of Laura’s damage but her focus was on the top in her hands. _Carmilla’s top_. It was ruined; torn in many places and stained with blood.

“Laura, this isn’t good.” LaF said worriedly.

“It’s ruined.” The blonde mumbled, staring down at the top in her hands.

“What?”

“Carm’s top. I’ve ruined it. It’s totally-“

“Hey, hey Laura.” LaF was never particularly comfortable with comforting people, that had always been Perry’s job, but now they had to help Laura and it left them clueless, a feeling that was both foreign and unpleasant to them. They tried to think what Perry would do but their need to care medically for Laura was distracting. “I’m sure Carmilla won’t mind. She’s probably more worried about what’s under the shirt, to be honest.” When in doubt, try humour, and well, it wasn’t exactly untrue too. Laura blinked. She knew that what LaFontaine was saying was true but she couldn’t stop staring at the shirt. “Laura, I think you’ve gone into shock. Should I get Carmilla-“

“No.” Laura snapped from her daze. Looking down at her body she winced at the black that spread across the right side of her ribs. “Let’s just finish this.”

LaF frowned and looked to the door before nodding. They had actually expected Carmilla to burst in at any moment. Surely the brunette was listening to everything that was going on.

Laura had another deep gash stretching from her shoulder to her neck. They didn’t voice it but LaF could see how lucky Laura had been. Any type of wound that deep on the neck was incredibly dangerous and Laura was lucky to be able to walk away from this at all. There were smaller shards of glass embedded in this cut but, like before, Laura didn’t react when the redhead withdrew them. LaF began to wonder if this lack of pain was really shock, or something much worse.

Although LaF had to take more time in being careful sewing up the gash, they did manage it with no problems. And actually, that was the easiest part over. The bruising on Laura’s torso was so extensive that LaF was worried that there would be severe internal damage. They were in half a mind to call Carmilla in to be a second opinion. The gashes were one thing, but internal injuries were so much more damaging.

“Laura,” they waited for Laura to meet their eyes, “I would like Carmilla to come in for this. I don’t want to make a mistake.” Laura clenched her jaw. She really didn’t want anyone else seeing her like this, but what choice did she have. She knew that LaF was more than capable with human biology, and so when they asked for a second opinion, she realised that maybe she was in more danger than she had thought. She nodded reluctantly.

LaF walked over to the door and slipped out, met with the others who worriedly waited.

“Carmilla I’m going to need your help.” They said watching as Carmilla’s eyes widened in concern. She knew that LaF was capable so why were they asking her for help? “But I should warn you, it’s not good.”

Carmilla spent a moment preparing herself for the worst, and yet, she could never have expected the sight of Laura, sitting on her bed, skin littered with cuts and dried blood, her torso black with bruising. Her heart dropped at the sight of how injured Laura was, how small she looked. She wasted no time in rushing over.

Laura looked up when the door opened and instantly forgot why she didn’t want Carmilla to be there with her in the first place. Her mere presence put the blonde at ease almost immediately. Without hesitation she held her hand out, feeling the warmth of the other girl’s hand slip into hers, fingers entwining together, squeezing encouragingly.

“Hey.” Carmilla said gently, crouching before where Laura sat, her other hand itching to touch the small blonde, but not daring to for fear of hurting her further.

For the first time since she got back, Laura smiled. Carmilla was relieved to see some light filter back into her eyes as she did so. “Hey.” With her free hand, Laura brushed some stray hairs from Carmilla’s face, the tips of her fingers brushing against the brunette’s cheekbones. “I’m sorry.” She mumbled, knowing the vampire would be able to hear.

“What for?”

“I sent you away when I need you most.”

Carmilla wanted to kiss Laura so badly in that moment that it took all of her willpower to not do so. She had to make sure Laura was well before she allowed herself to act on her own desires.

“I need to know that there’s no internal bleeding, broken bones or ruptured organs.” LaF stated, completely unaware of the atmosphere between the two. “Carmilla, I’m going to need you to feel her back for any irregularities whilst I examine her ribs.”

Carmilla nodded and moved to kneel behind Laura on her bed, trying suppress her nausea at the sight of the black sea of a bruise that extended from the blonde’s right shoulder to her left hip. Carefully, she very gently placed her hands against Laura’s back, whispering soft words of comfort all the while.

“Laura, I’m not going to lie, this is gonna hurt like Hell.” LaF warned, wanting to give the small girl time to mentally prepare herself for the pain.

Unperturbed by the idea of pain, Laura nodded for LaF and Carmilla to start.

At first it wasn’t so bad. LaF was gently applying pressure to points along her side and then further inwards. It was when they put pressure right on the centre of her chest that she couldn’t hold the cry of pain that escaped her mouth, causing the redhead to still their movements and Carmilla to tense with discomfort at causing Laura pain. LaF’s eyes met Carmilla’s and the brunette shook her head, indicating that she had felt nothing out of place so far.

Keeping a mental note of where the pain was, they continued to apply pressure along the blonde’s ribs. Laura, in the meantime, had broken out in a cold sweat. This hurt a lot more than she would care to admit. When LaF had pressed on her breastbone, a sharp pain had exploded through her, making her want to throw up. She knew pain. But this was the worst. She would never be able to fight like this. Absentmindedly, Laura cursed Lilita for forbidding her from taking those pills. She no longer cared what was in them as long as they stopped this sort of pain.

Whenever LaF put pressure on the ribs of Laura’s right side, the blonde would whimper. Finally, after what felt like hours, LaF straightened.

“I don’t think that there is anything broken or ruptured, but I’m almost certain that you’ve seriously cracked your ribs and breastbone.” They said, taking note of Carmilla nodding behind Laura. The blonde had responded to the pressure but LaF hadn’t felt anything out of place and the bruising had come from the ribs and there wasn’t any tenderness. In a way it was a relief. Laura really shouldn’t have survived that fall and to walk away with lacerations and cracked ribs meant that she was incredibly lucky.

Carmilla breathed a sigh of relief, sagging slightly as she did so. She knew how much worse it could have been, and, from the look on LaF’s face, they knew too. When their eyes met, they both nodded, indicating that they both knew that they had to speak to Laura. LaF nodded and headed outside to tell the others of the extent of Laura’s injuries whilst Carmilla quickly and gently got off the bed and grabbed the pillow from her own bed and putting it with Laura’s yellow one. She quickly grabbed an old, oversized plaid and helped Laura slip into it.

“Carm,” the brunette looked to Laura who wouldn’t meet her eyes. Taking a deep breath the blonde continued. “I ruined your shirt. I’m so sorry. I-“

Carmilla cut her off. She had heard Laura worrying about the shirt through the door and, like LaF, had recognised that the distraction was the result of shock. Laura focussing on something irrelevant was unusual and gave the brunette all the more reason for worry.

“Hey don’t worry about that. We can think about that later when you’re feeling better.” The others entered the room, all wearing the same wary expression. Carmilla, noticing this, took the blonde’s hand and sat next to her on the bed.

Danny, looking noticeably paler, was the first to speak. “Laura there’s something you need to know.” Laura didn’t like the sound of that at all. Danny looked to Carmilla to continue.

“The guy that shot me wasn’t wearing a mask.” _Shit, shit, shit. Who would be stupid enough to risk it all?_ Carmilla gave Laura a long look. “It was that guy who was outside the café that day. The one that Kirsch nearly got into a fight with. The one you scared off.” The brunette couldn’t stop the accusatory tone from entering her voice.

Laura let her features show her panic. What the Hell had Parker been thinking, revealing his face like that? No, she knew what he had been thinking. She had shown him up in public and so he was getting her back for it. Laura knew that Parker was dangerous but this was… this was crazy! But he had hurt Carmilla and Laura was going to make him pay.

“He’s a gladiator?” she asked, her exhaustion causing her voice to shake. She felt Carmilla squeeze her hand in reassurance, but it only cause guilt to flood her. She was lying, _again_.

“Yeah, and we were wondering how you knew him.” LaF put in.

That was a little harder to think up on the spot. “Uh, he’s part of the Alpha Society.” _Try not to say anything more, Hollis_.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be going to that anymore.” Danny suggested, Carmilla nodding along with her.

Laura huffed a dry chuckle before groaning in pain. “I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere any time soon.”

*

Danny, LaF, Perry and Kirsch tried to stay for as long as possible but, when it became apparent that Laura was in no immediate danger, they realised that the small blonde needed rest and agreed to come back the following morning, bright and early, with a sugar-coated breakfast.

Closing the door behind her, Carmilla released a deep breath. The day had been long and so, so tiring. Her chest ached with the pain of the arrow and the pain of seeing Laura in such a state. The small girl had been through so much and the thought of how close she had been to losing her made Carmilla’s heart clench.

And Laura was all too aware of what the brunette was feeling. Sure she had her own pain, but she hadn’t for a single moment forgotten about Carmilla’s.

“Hey,” she said, pushing herself stiffly from the bed, trying to ignore the dizziness that came with standing.

Carmilla rushed over, eyes wide. “No, no, no, Cupcake you need to stay in bed. You need to rest.”

“So do you.”

Carmilla stopped. Here Laura was, black and blue and shredded, and she was taking care of Carmilla. Stepping forward, she very gently took the blonde’s face in her hands and pressed her lips to Laura’s. Laura, caught off guard for a moment, responded eagerly, trying to show how glad she was that Carmilla was alright. That they were alright.

Moving her better hand to Carmilla’s hair, Laura moved to deepen the kiss, feeling a content hum go through the brunette. Her tongue swiped across the other girl’s before she nibbled lightly on it. She couldn’t stop the smile that came to her lips, ruining the kiss. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw Carmilla watching her with a warm look and a soft smile upon her lips.

Detaching herself from the brunette, Laura limped towards the fridge and took the spare bag of blood from the fridge and pouring it into a mug and handing it to the vampire.

“I know you don’t really like blood straight from the fridge, but you need it undamaged.”

“You’re too good for me, Sweetheart.” Carmilla said, taking a sip and realising how much she actually needed rest and blood. Laura stifled a yawn, causing a wry smile to work its way to the brunette’s lips. “You need to rest. And I will once I’ve finished this.” She indicated to her mug before leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to Laura’s forehead, the most undamaged part of her face.

Laura hesitated for a moment. She wanted Carmilla to be there with her tonight, but with both of their injuries, she knew it was safest for the two of them to sleep separately.

“Fine. But just for tonight.” She said, kissing the brunette on the cheek before peeling her jeans off and climbing stiffly into bed, tossing Carmilla her yellow pillow with a smile before settling on the brunette’s pillow. It didn’t take long for her to fall into unconsciousness.

The frown didn’t leave Carmilla’s face for the rest of the time that she was awake. She had wanted to stay up and watch Laura to make sure that she was alright, but as soon as she had finished her blood, her eyes started to droop. She was exhausted, physically and emotionally. Coupled with Laura’s pillow smelling so comforting and being so comfortable, it wasn’t long before she, too, fell into the dark abyss of sleep.

*

The sensation of falling caused Laura to jolt awake. She lay there for a while, waiting for her pounding heartrate to slow, listening to the steady breathing coming from the other side of the room. Soon Laura’s heart was matched to it.

Sitting herself up, Laura was surprised to find that she wasn’t in nearly as much pain as she had been last night. Breathing didn’t come with a stabbing pain to her chest and she found that she could rotate her right shoulder. She wondered if there was a lingering effect from the pills, or if she really did just need a good night’s sleep. Either way, she wasn’t complaining.

Gingerly getting out of bed, she tested whether her legs could support her weight and, finding that they could, she made her way to make a hot cocoa, seeing that it was seven o’clock in the morning. She doubted that she would be able to fall back asleep as she was wired with adrenaline from the mere feeling of falling. As she waited for her water to boil, she popped into the bathroom to see if she looked any better today. Being confronted that early in the morning with a grazed cheekbone, black eye and facial lacerations wasn’t what she would have called a ‘good morning’. Gritting her teeth against the harsh reality that what she was about to see next, she slid the shirt from her arms and winced at the sight of the black and blue bruising that stretched extensively across her skin. So, apparently she only _felt_ better, not _look_ better. That would have been asking too much.

Slipping the shirt back on, she went back into the room, smiling at the sight of a peaceful Carmilla sleeping soundly on her bed as she did so. As she walked past, she brought the blanket up to the brunette’s chin, knowing that the cold didn’t bother her too much but rather because it was a comfort. It was one of the few comforts that the blonde could afford to help with. Continuing to the kitchen area, Laura quickly made her drink and treated herself to marshmallows and chocolate wafer biscuits. She knew Perry would have a fit if she saw her eating so much pure sugar for breakfast, at such an early hour, but it had dawned on her that she hadn’t eaten since early yesterday and she had started to get shaky.

Settling back in bed, she wondered what she was going to be doing until either Carmilla woke up or the others got there. She didn’t fancy watching something or reading and so decided to be productive and get some more of her journalism project done. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time that she worked on that. Rereading through what she had already written whilst sipping her drink, she tweaked a few sentences here and there, but was otherwise happy with it so far. But there wasn’t much there. She had a lot more to write down about it now after a couple of months of being the champion of Silas. She was sure that she could make this work.

*

Laura had completely lost track of time when she heard the doorknob rattle quietly. Her heart jumped as she was brought violently out of her academic spell, breaking through the silence of the room that she had grown accustomed to. She quickly saved her report and shut the document down. She couldn’t have the others finding out now, not when they were so close to accomplishing what they had set out to do.

Carmilla, too, sat up abruptly, flinching at the pain in her chest. She had heard the door open and for an awful moment had thought that it was her mother, coming to finally claim them all. Seeing it was only the Scooby Gang she refrained from hissing at them and looked over to see how Laura was doing.

Carmilla was actually surprised to see that the blonde was awake, and had been awake for a little while if her empty mug of cocoa was anything to go by. The brunette took a moment to look at the blonde and was delighted and relieved to see her bright and smiling. She was still moving carefully, favouring her right side entirely and hiding as much skin as possible underneath the old plaid and a pair of loose sweatpants.

Laura’s eyes met Carmilla’s and the blonde smiled, patting the space next to her on her bed. The brunette smiled and stood, stretching stiffly as she did so, relieved to feel only a dull ache of where the arrow had struck.

“Woah, before you both start cuddling up to one another, let me just have a look at your wounds.” LaF said, quickly intercepting Carmilla from settling in with Laura. The brunette rolled her eyes but accompanied the ginger scientist to the bathroom, followed by a limping Laura. Once the three of them were in the bathroom, LaF indicated for the both of them to remove their tops.

Carmilla raised an eyebrow at Laura who smirked back at her.

“Not that I’ve ever thought of having an audience…” Carmilla began.

“Unless you want to join in?” Laura piped up, causing the brunette to snort.

LaF gave them a less than amused glare. “You two are the height of hilarity.”

Carmilla turned to Laura. “Is that a no then?” she asked innocently.

“Unless you want Perry invited.” LaF all but snapped, causing Carmilla to shudder and Laura to laugh out loud, followed quickly by a sharp intake of breath. “Now, back to the task at hand.” They waved their hands at the pair who quickly removed their tops.

Carmilla bit down a number of snarky comments as the redhead poked and prodded at her chest, marvelling in the fact that it wasn’t even a scab but a small round scar. Then came Laura’s turn. The blonde was wary of being examined after the pain it had caused her yesterday, but she needn’t have worried. LaF was very gentle and seemed to remember everywhere that had hurt yesterday and had paid even more attention to being careful in those areas whilst Carmilla watched over worriedly.

“Laura this is amazing. You’ve healed so much… _overnight_?” they looked at her sceptically. “ _You’re_ not actually a vampire are you?” Maybe meant in jest, but Laura wasn’t oblivious to the horrified expression that crossed both LaF’s and Carmilla’s faces at the mere thought.

Instead she laughed. “Nope. As long as I can remember I’ve been quick to recover from things. It was a blessing when I saw little… well littler. I was always so clumsy.”

“ _Was_?” Carmilla asked with a shy, yet playful smile.

Again Laura laughed, ignoring the pain in her chest. “Touché. But really this isn’t that out of the ordinary for me.”

LaFontaine was amazed. “Do you think, when you’re fully better, I could like totally run some non-invasive tests? I could use you as my project for this year, see what makes you so quick to heal.” They rambled excitedly, causing Laura to smile and Carmilla to roll her eyes.

“Sure, LaF. Non-invasive though.”

“Yeah, yeah, totally. This is going to be amazing.” They then seemed to remember why the three of them were in there in the first place and blushed. “Oh, you really are a lot better today, Frosh. But I still think you need a couple of days of bedrest. I mean, you’re lucky to even be alive.”

“Trust me, Laf, I’m going to be practically glued to my bed.”

Seeming satisfied with that answer, the redhead left the bathroom, leaving Carmilla to help Laura back into the shirt, all the while trying to ignore the bruising.

“Glued to your bed huh? Anything I can help with?” the brunette purred into her ear, causing the blonde to feel a rush of heat throb through her.

“Ugh, Carm. You’re such a tease.” She playfully hit the brunette on her arm before pulling her into a kiss, allowing for Carmilla to bite and suck on her lower lip before running her tongue along it slowly. Laura moaned quietly, her left hand clasping the brunette’s shoulder tightly, whilst her left hand clutched desperately at her waist, holding onto her as if her own life depended on it.

Carmilla was the first to pull away after hearing the approaching footsteps of someone outside. A moment later Perry walked in, doing her best to ignore the fact that she knew what she had just interrupted.

“Laura, honey, we brought you breakfast, and Carmilla we have some fresh blood for you.” She turned to leave but decided to actually make sure that the two girls left as well so she ushered them out, much to Laura’s amusement and Carmilla’s disdain.

Laura crawled back into her bed and Carmilla settled beside her whilst the others sat on Carmilla’s bed. Perry handed Laura a bag filled with two large cinnamon rolls, doused in a sugary glaze. To Carmilla she handed a purple juice cup filled with blood.

The four of them chatted amiably whilst Laura and Carmilla had their breakfast. Carmilla kept stealing bites of Laura’s sugary treats, much to the Laura’s amusement. She, like the blonde, had a sweet tooth and Laura was more than willing to share, especially if it meant that Carmilla would get bits of frosting on her face which the blonde would then kiss them off.

LaF and Perry watched the two interact with interest. There was less tension between the two of them now. Upon watching, LaF realised it was Laura who had changed. She seemed to be more carefree, like she had a massive weight taken from her. It was odd because of the situation that she was in: hunted by the Dean and recovering from a life-threatening accident. And yet, here she was, happier than she had seemed in a long time, teasing Carmilla, who seemed to be loving it. But, seeing Laura so much like her old self, LaF and Perry were happy to believe that she was feeling better within herself and chose to support her instead of question it.

There was still the matter of the fact that they had failed. They hadn’t even come close enough to the Dean to warrant a fight with her. And they had suffered badly in attempting to fight her. Carmilla had been shot, Kirsch had been stabbed, and Laura had nearly died being thrown out of a window. There was the unspoken knowledge that there was going to be a discussion needed at some point but for now, there was an unspoken agreement that they had to recover first. They were all keeping an eye out for anyone or anything that the Dean could have sent respectively. But, underneath all of this, there was a tension that came from the fact that the Dean had _known_. She had been prepared for them. How was that possible? They had been extra careful and yet she still knew. _How_? That was a question that they were going to have to face later.

Danny and Kirsch joined them a little later and LaF and Kirsch set about setting up a home cinema that Danny had brought from the Summers House. Other than some light hearted chatter, they didn’t speak about the day before. It was easier to just take some time away from it, even at the risk of the Dean finding them. A day of just chilling out was what everybody needed.

Whilst watching yet another season of _Orange Is The New Black_ , Laura turned her attention to the girl beside her. Although they had been inseparable all day, Laura still felt hesitation from the brunette. Carmilla still blamed herself for yesterday’s outcome and she slipped in and out of being distant with Laura. The blonde understood why, and she knew that it would take a lot of convincing to prove to Carmilla that she wasn’t at any fault. But for now, Laura settled for quiet reassurance. Unable to properly speak with her girlfriend with the others around, Laura settled with drawing little patterns on Carmilla’s arm, moving slowly over the skin. She could have been mapping unknown constellations, writing long lost languages, following the twisting roots of the tree of life, Carmilla didn’t know, but she knew the feeling that the action caused. She allowed herself to relax into the bed, feeling the warmth of the girl beside her, a low purr reverberating through her chest.

Laura’s fingers stilled for a moment at the feeling before she moved them gently over Carmilla’s stomach, scratching lightly across before continuing her little patterns, her attention returning to the screen.

*

Over the next few days, Laura’s recovery was aided much by Carmilla. The brunette hardly left her side and the two of them got into a routine that involved waking up together, going and getting breakfast together, going on slow walks along the outskirts of campus together, getting lunch together, relaxing back in the dorm, working together, going for dinner together, sleeping together. It was very casual but both girls felt even more connected to the other with the more time that they spent together. They would talk about everything and anything until they talked about nothing in particular. Quality time with the other had been few and far between as of late and both girls thoroughly utilised it. They saw the others daily but there wasn’t a moment that they weren’t together. Carmilla didn’t want to leave Laura’s side again and Laura didn’t want to leave Carmilla at the mercy of the Dean without her there.

However, there was one day that Carmilla had to go off and speak with her gladiator acquaintance. Laura had tried to make the brunette stay. It had only been a week since their attempt on the Dean and Laura still hadn’t heard anything from her. She needed more time. It wasn’t that she needed more time to heal, she needed Lilita to drink the poisoned blood. She had to wait. But she couldn’t afford to let the others know. Not when she was so close.

So she let Carmilla go.

The brunette had promised to be quick and, true to her word, was only about an hour. Coming back into the room, she was faced with Laura, sitting at her desk, earphones in, singing along to what must have been some Top 40s song.

“This is my fight song,

Take back my life song,

Prove I’m alright song.

My power’s turned on,

Starting right I’ll be strong,

I’ll play my fight song,

And I don’t really care if nobody else believes,

‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me.”

Laura actually had quite a nice voice and Carmilla could stop the smile that came to her face at the sight of Laura editing an essay, singing along to an empowering song. It was all so _Laura_. This was the Laura she had first fallen for. The dorky girl who read and wrote _Harry Potter_ fanfiction, who could quote every _Doctor Who_ episode, who mourned the death of fictional characters as strongly as the death of real people.

Walking over to the blonde, Carmilla slipped her arms around her neck, pressing a gentle kiss to the other girl’s jaw. Laura had long since passed getting embarrassed by Carmilla walking in on her doing something silly. Rather she wished it would happen more often as she loved the heart-warming smile that Carmilla reserved only for her.

Not to mention she was thrilled that the brunette was back, unscathed.

Both girls knew that it wasn’t long now.

It was only a matter of waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took a little longer than I had planned so apologies for it being a couple of days late.  
> Thank you so much for reading and supporting me through the duration of the story, it means the world to me.  
> As always, let me know what you thought and if you have any questions, feel free to ask.  
> Out of curiosity, what song do you think best fits Laura?   
> Feel free to find me on tumblr: warrioroftheice


	18. The Winner Takes It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truth will out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in getting this updated.  
> As always, let me know what you thought and feel free to find me on tumblr at WarriorOfTheIce  
> Enjoy.

“How are you, Laura?”

Lilita leant forward, her elbows resting on her desk, fingers entwined as she stared intently at Laura. It seemed that Lilita had grown bored of lacking a limb as her left arm had been replaced with a black metal prosthetic arm. And, very much keeping to her personal style, the arm was embossed with both silver and gold veins. Laura couldn’t help but think that she was using her disability to her advantage, making a clear statement that she could not be killed. Not even by toxic silver which runs through her veins. _Ironic_. Beside her rested a blood martini, garnished with - was that an eyeball? - of course it was. Laura tried to keep calm at the thought that that could be _the_ blood. Luckily for the blonde, however, her close association with vampires meant that she had quickly learnt how to guard the physical signs of unease.

The blonde shrugged lightly, raising the grape soda to her mouth and taking a sip. “A lot better now. I don’t know, I think those pills must have had some sort of long-lasting effect.” And it was true. Laura’s internal injuries had healed in only a few days and whilst she refrained from using the cream on her cuts, they had too healed within the week, leaving pink scars that were already fading to white. LaFontaine had taken to calling her ‘Miracle Child’, which Laura didn’t mind as such, she just didn’t think all that much of it. She had gotten so used to healing fast after fighting in the arena that she had completely forgotten that it wasn’t exactly natural.

A gleam came to Lilita’s eyes at Laura’s words. She leant further forward as her eyes roamed over the blonde, finding that she was, in fact, almost completely healed. Laura didn’t like the look. It wasn’t a predatory gaze, it was more as if she were contemplating her victory.

“I see. It might just be possible that your body is now used to dealing with heavy injuries in short spaces of time.” At Laura’s raised eyebrows she added, “It has happened before.”

_Well, that’s new, and not completely terrible_ , Laura reasoned. After all, speedy healing was a welcome assistance at a university like Silas.

“But, that isn’t the only reason I called you here today, Laura.” Mammon sat back, taking a leisurely sip from her drink and Laura tried to look anywhere but the eyeball. “You have chosen your side and I have need of you. You need to deal with Carmilla.” Laura couldn’t stop her heart from jumping. She should have expected this but the mere thought of hurting Carmilla made Laura feel sick to her stomach. Lilita smiled at the increase to Laura’s heartrate. “Unless of course that will be a problem?”

There was a clear challenge to her words and Laura knew that if she even hinted at the wrong thing, Lilita would know which side she had picked exactly and would end Laura then and there. Laura chuckled. “Not quite. After all, who else could you get to get close enough? Mattie?” she didn’t need to explain that Mattie wouldn’t kill Carmilla, they both knew that she wouldn’t. “No, I can do it but I wouldn’t know how. If I obviously kill her then everyone will know that we are in league together and I don’t fancy being interrogated by dimwits. Please tell me you have a way for me to do this.”

A moment stretched out into an eternity as Lilita regarded Laura with a cold, hard look. It took all of the blonde’s will to refrain from squirming under such scrutiny but she had to convince the ancient vampire. The question of killing Carmilla had caught her completely off guard.

“I want you to poison her blood.”

Laura’s blood ran cold and her peripherals darkened as she fought the urge to faint. This was too much of a coincidence. Lilita _had_ to know. Lilita, on the other hand, ignored Laura’s current state in favour of producing a small syringe from a draw in her desk. Unlike the murky brown substance that Laura had injected into Lilita’s blood stash, this liquid was clear. Laura, not for the first time, hoped that Taylor’s calculations were correct.

“Contaminating Carmilla’s blood with this will do it.” she held up a hand as Laura opened her mouth to ask the increasing number of questions that she had. “No, don’t ask what it is. It’s better for you to not know.”

Laura nodded. “As you wish.” She stood, taking the implement from Mammon’s hand.

“Now Laura, is there anything you need to tell me about your little friends?”

Laura thought for a moment. “Not really. Everyone was really disheartened by how badly the attack went. I mean, pretty much everyone got hurt and so they were in no rush to try again.” Lilita nodded, seeming vaguely satisfied by the answer. “However,” Lilita’s jaw clenched at the fact that there was something else. Laura had contemplated whether or not she should say anything at all, but the possessive, vengeful side of her won out. “Parker was seen. They knew he knew me and he’s compromising everything.”

“What would you have me do about him?”

“Whatever you see fit.” Laura knew that she should have felt something at selling Parker out, but she didn’t, and wouldn’t. He wasn’t worth her time. He had hurt Carmilla and had to pay.

“So be it. Oh, and whilst I remember, you have been challenged so prepare for the arena tomorrow.” Laura nodded and Mammon waved her hand at the blonde. “You may go.”

Lilita smiled as she watched Laura pocket the syringe. Having people do your dirty work for you really was a lot easier than getting your own hands messy. It was now up to Laura to get the job done.

*

“There’s another fight tomorrow.” Carmilla said suddenly, causing everyone in the room to look at her. Danny had taken to tutoring Kirsch in his English modules in Laura and Carmilla’s dorm whilst Perry searched for recipes to combine and enhance. LaF kept themselves busy by copying up lab reports. It was cramped, yes, but they all managed to work in harmony. In fact, Carmilla barely snapped at anyone, although that was largely due to working next to Laura who was far more interested in Carmilla’s philosophy than her own paper.

Carmilla sighed and turned to Laura. “We can’t go, can we?”

Laura shook her head and took the brunette’s hand in her own. “I’m sorry. It’s too risky. Surely the Dean would want us on a spit roast at this point?”

“I know. I just can’t help but feel like a sitting duck when we are doing nothing.” Carmilla squeezed Laura’s hand as she spoke.

She felt so vulnerable just sitting in this room, day after day. Sure they tried to remain as normal a routine as possible by continuing with their classes but Carmilla was just waiting for the day when Laura wouldn’t come home. She wouldn’t be there anymore because Mammon would get her way. And it terrified her. Laura was her everything and, especially recently, the two of them had developed a bond that ran so much deeper than anything she had ever felt before. Not with Ell, not with Mattie, not with anybody.

“I guess we can start planning something else.” Danny said, brows furrowed in thought. “I mean, we couldn’t defeat her on our own so what if we did something with everyone we could muster. Kirsch could get his Zetas, I could get the Summers, LaF could get the Alchemy Club and Perry could get the newspaper kids. But the only problem is-“

“That we don’t have anything to fight for.” LaF finished.

Carmilla nodded. “We need something to bring people together. Nobody really cares if there’s an underground fight club, and after the last time we tried to fight Mammon… well, let’s just say I’m sure people won’t be lining up to fight her again.”

“We’ll think of something.” Laura said, smiling at everyone there. “I know we will.”

The honest truth was that Laura was just happy that the others weren’t going to the fight tomorrow. It was bad enough when she had to watch her own back, but having to keep an eye on them could get to be a bit of a handful. She needed time and for the others to not rush in to anything. Surely Lilita would be drinking the poisoned blood soon and then everything would be set into motion. Then would be the time to act. But only then. Anything that happened beforehand would be a wasted effort.

“Well, it’s getting late and if we plan on rallying the troops, a good night’s sleep will do us all the world of good.” Perry said, standing quickly and offering her hand to LaF who took it with a smile.

Laura was glad. She had to conserve energy for tomorrow and think up an excuse as to why she had to go out during the time of the fight.

“Same time tomorrow?” Danny asked.

“I’ll be a bit late.” Worried glances turned to face her. “Taylor needs help with the module topic so I offered to go through it with him.”

Kirsch frowned. “Taylor? As in _Taylor_ Taylor?” Laura nodded, hoping with her entire being that Kirsch didn’t know about Taylor being a gladiator. “Little L, I had no idea you knew T-Boi. He’s a total bro.”

“So, we don’t have to worry about Laura going to see him?” Danny asked uncertainly. Laura tried to ignore the stab of annoyance at the overprotective attitude of the redhead.

“No way, D-Bear. He’s cool. An honorary Zeta. Zeta’s honour.” Kirsch held his right hand to his heart and held three fingers up on his left hand.

“That’s Scout’s Honour, dumbass.” Danny said, shoving the brunet, but she was smiling slightly.

“And anyway, if I go during the time of the fight, surely the Dean would be there anyway?” Laura piped in. She had to make this alibi as solid as possible.

Carmilla sighed and pulled Laura close. “Fine. But don’t be too long, ok?” Laura nodded and kissed Carmilla on the cheek, causing a grin to stretch across the brunette’s lips.

“Yes, well, we shall see you both at some point tomorrow then.” Perry and LaF left, followed closely by Danny and Kirsch.

“Thank _God_. I thought they would never leave.” Carmilla groaned, causing Laura to giggle.

“Oh please. I think that you’re actually starting to like them.” Carmilla only huffed in response, making Laura laugh again.

Leaning over, Laura gently placed her lips at the corner of the brunette’s mouth. Before she could move away, Carmilla drew her in again and connected their lips, her hands cupping Laura’s face as they did. Carmilla slowly bit Laura’s lower lip, drawing it between her teeth languidly, causing a moan to reverberate throughout Laura’s body. Both girls pulled back, staring at one another with dark eyes and flushed cheeks. A moment passed and a silent wave of communication went through both of them before they kissed again.

This time it was hot. It was rough. It held weeks of pent up passion. Weeks of torturous teasing. Weeks of agonising frustration.

Carmilla’s hands scrabbled at the buttons of Laura’s shirt, trying her hardest not to rip them off in her need. Laura’s hands were under Carmilla’s top, mapping out the skin she had traced so often and yet had never had the full chance of experiencing. As Laura pulled away to tug the shirt down her arms, Carmilla pulled her top over her head, letting her hair fall in wavy curls around her face, framing it perfectly and almost stopping Laura in her tracks.

_Almost_.

The blonde pushed against Carmilla until the vampire was on her back, their lips never disconnecting. Laura grasped the back of Carmilla’s thigh and hoisted the brunette closer to her and further down the bed, unintentionally grinding their centres together, eliciting throaty moans from both women. Laura’s hands moved nimbly over Carmilla’s stomach, tracing over the faint outline of abs, to her ribs, ghosting against the underside of Carmilla’s bra. In one swift movement, the blonde lifted Carmilla slightly and unhooked the piece of clothing, pulling it from her and revealing the beauty beneath it.

Cupping Carmilla’s breast, Laura detached her lips from the brunette’s and attached her mouth to Carmilla’s jawline as her fingers tweaked at Carmilla’s nipple, testing, teasing, earning her a guttural moan and an involuntary buck. Laura smiled against Carmilla’s skin and began to move lower, leaving a trail of bite marks down from Carmilla’s jaw until she reached the brunette’s other breast. Sucking a deep hickey in the valley between her breasts, Laura’s hand moved lower, playing with the waistline of Carmilla’s jeans.

“Laura…” the brunette moaned, bucking lightly, indicating where she needed relief most. However, the end of the blonde’s name was choked off as Laura attached her mouth to Carmilla’s nipple, sucking lightly before swirling her tongue around it. Carmilla’s hands bunched into Laura’s hair, pulling her even closer as she threw her head back, biting her lip harshly to avoid screaming.

Who knew Laura was such a top?

Satisfied with the sounds that Carmilla was making, Laura moved lower, brushing her lips lightly across Carmilla’s stomach as she went. Part of Laura wanted Carmilla to beg her for release, whilst the other part of her wanted Carmilla to climax so hard that she couldn’t even remember her own name. Laura decided that, tonight, she would make Carmilla see the stars that she loved so much; there would be plenty of time for Carmilla to beg later.

Undoing Carmilla’s jeans and tugging them roughly down and off her legs, throwing them into the room somewhere, Laura wasted no time in getting rid of the vampire’s skimpy, sodden panties. Carmilla opened to Laura like a flower in bloom and the blonde took full advantage of Carmilla’s submission. Running her index finger gently through the brunette’s dripping folds, Laura marvelled at the mewl that left Carmilla’s mouth. Pushing herself up the brunette’s body, she placed a hungry kiss against Carmilla’s lips, pulling away to watch as she slowly slid one finger inside.

Carmilla’s eyes rolled back before they fluttered closed, her brow furrowing further. She bucked against Laura’s hand, trying to get as much contact as possible. A strained moan tore from her throat as Laura added another finger and curled them slightly.

With her thumb, Laura began to trace circles on Carmilla’s clitoris, increasing and reducing pressure as she went, reducing the girl below her to a quivering mess of uneven breathing, stunted swear words, and pitched moans.

A slight shift alerted Laura to Carmilla’s state. The brunette bucked against Laura’s hand again as her hands clawed at the blonde’s shoulders. Laura didn’t flinch at the sting of Carmilla’s fingernails scratching down her back as she was too distracted by the brunette reaching her climax.

Laura knew that Carmilla was beautiful, but seeing her writhing in the throes of passion, eyes screwed shut and teeth biting down harshly on her lip, the blonde saw that even in such a carnal state Carmilla held a beauty that no one could ever equal.

Laura helped Carmilla ride out her orgasm, moving her hand with her as she came, the brunette’s back arching from the bed and a long, drawn out moan ripping from her very centre. When finished, Laura gently removed her fingers, licking the sweet nectar from them before leaning down and kissing her girlfriend lightly.

Carmilla opened her eyes, trying to discern her bearings from the white noise that surrounded her. What had just happened was amazing. She had never felt like that before and she could feel her muscles aching dully from constantly clenching and unclenching. Looking into Laura’s nearly black eyes, Carmilla smirked.

“Your turn, Sweetheart.”

*

Laura lay curled against Carmilla, absentmindedly tracing patterns along the brunette’s ribcage whilst Carmilla ran her fingers through the blonde’s hair. There was no need for words between the two, their recent activity having said more than simple words ever could.

Carmilla felt more content than she ever had in her immortal life. Lying there, she realised how lucky she was but _God_ could Laura take it out of her. The blonde knew exactly how to make her scream, how to make her squirm, how to make her beg.

Moving as if to stand, Laura stilled Carmilla with a firm hand placed between her breasts.

“Cupcake…” Laura pouted. “I need to feed.”

Laura leaned up and pressed her lips gently to the underside of Carmilla’s jaw. “I’ll get it for you. You stay here.”

Laura smiled as Carmilla captured her lips in another kiss. Pulling away with a giggle, the blonde stood, fully aware of the brunette’s eyes staring at her nakedness, even after making love as intensely as they just had. Laura was well-passed being embarrassed about such leering and actually loved the way that Carmilla ogled at her.

Carmilla couldn’t stop staring at Laura’s back. The small blonde was incredibly toned and the brunette’s dark eyes roamed across the defined shoulders and down her back, finally resting on Laura’s perfect, pert behind. Damn, she was beautiful. And so, so sexy. The image Laura crawling up her naked body was forever imprinted in her mind and it was something that Carmilla knew that she would never get used to seeing.

Laura stood and threw on her varsity jacket, not so much for the sake of modesty, although there was always a risk that someone was going to burst into the room at any point, no matter if they locked the door or not, but because inside the inner pocket of the jacket was the syringe that Lilita had given her.

Indecision tore at Laura’s mind. She didn’t want to hurt Carmilla in any way but she was finding it increasingly difficult to disobey Mammon’s orders. She knew in her heart that she couldn’t do anything that would cause Carmilla harm, but that didn’t stop the guilt from eating at her conscience as she watched Carmilla gratefully drink the blood that Laura had given her.

*

There was definitely a change in atmosphere between the two girls the next day. LaFontaine had noticed the change as soon as they walked into the dorm. Sure Laura and Carmilla had been almost inseparable beforehand, but now there was a spark between them, as if they were somehow closer than they had been before. Try as hard as they might, LaF wasn’t oblivious to what caused them to be closer. Some things could be left unsaid.

Carmilla, on the other hand, couldn’t get the night before out of her mind and found every reason to touch Laura. Whether it be a gentle squeeze of the shoulders, or brushing her hand against the blonde’s lower back, or subtly running her fingers down her thigh when no one else was looking, loving the blush that erupted across the blonde’s skin at the mere contact.

As Laura prepared another cup of blood for her girlfriend, Carmilla walked up behind her, wrapping her arms around the blonde’s waist and pressing her lips to the back of her neck. Laura hummed and leaned back into Carmilla’s embrace, smiling at the familiar feeling of the brunette’s lips on her skin. She suddenly wished that the others weren’t there so she could deal with Carmilla as she wanted to.

But, fate was against her today.

LaF, Perry and Kirsch sat on Carmilla’s bed whilst Danny sat on the desk chair. They had agreed to plan ahead whilst Laura was out “studying” with Taylor. She hated to lie, yet again, but she knew that everyone would be safe here and that was all she wanted. They weren’t superhuman, they were just humans and Lilita would cart away anyone who might be strong enough to fight back.

Like Laura.

But it would be over soon. She just had to wait for Lilita to drink the blood and then she would deal with the questions, the resentment, the distrust. It was all a matter of biding her time.

Turning in Carmilla’s arms, Laura cast a quick glance to the others before closing the distance between them, gripping the vampire’s waist and pulling her as closely as possible, capturing the taller girl’s lips in a short, steamy kiss. Laura pulled away, laughing under her breath as Carmilla tried to follow her, a pout forming as the blonde only pecked her lips before handing over the glass of blood.

“Later.” Carmilla muttered lowly, causing a shiver to rush through Laura. She would hold Carmilla to that, for sure.

“Alright guys, I’ll be back soon.” Laura said, detaching herself from Carmilla and grabbing her backpack from by her bed. Casting a wary eye around the room, she added, “You’ll be alright, right?”

Carmilla and LaFontaine laughed.

“I’m sure we’ll manage.” Carmilla slid her arm around Laura’s waist, squeezing her slightly.

“Yeah L, the one we should be asking that to is you.” LaF chuckled.

Laura rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Yeah yeah. You’re all _hilarious_. I’ll be fine. Promise.”

Carmilla smirked, turning her body into Laura’s and pressing a kiss to her hair. “Try not to be too long, Cupcake.” She looked like she was about to say something else, but stopped herself.

Laura smiled and cupped Carmilla’s jaw before pressing a sweet kiss to the other girl’s lips. Pulling away before she could get tempted to deepen the kiss and cause further discomfort for the others. Laughing at the pout on Carmilla’s face and the awkward looks on the others’ faces, Laura turned and left, meeting Taylor outside her building before heading off to the arena together.

*

The roar of the crowd thundered through Laura’s entire being causing her excitement to peak. There was a part of her that really enjoyed fighting, and that part was growing with each passing day. It was liberating, being Spartaca. She had people who cheered for her and never doubted her abilities. Not like her friends did. Her fans knew that she was capable of the impossible.

The crowd began a chant that was lost into the roar, becoming the erratic beating of the arena’s heart. Laura couldn’t distinguish the words, but the atmosphere was electric. The crowd knew that there was something going on, and her last big fight against ten people had been the talk of the underground gladiator world. Whatever was planned for Spartaca was going to be epic. There was never any doubt about it.

As she was stood in the dugout, dressed in her personal, demonic black armour, she realised that she would miss this. The killing had stopped bothering her and she was loathe to admit that she enjoyed how well off she now was. She could comfortably take Carmilla to New York ten times over.

But there were still her morals. Lilita Morgan was bad news. Laura still had no idea what Mammon was truly capable of and the thought scared her. And whilst the blonde was now on the Dean’s good side, her friends would always win her loyalty. Sure they annoyed her and belittled her, but she was soon going to show them not to underestimate her. And who doesn’t get annoyed by their friends. It’s all part of what a good friendship is. If you can get past all the little things like that then it’s worth it, and Laura knew, right from her soul, that her friends were worth it.

Taylor walked up behind Laura, holding the box which held her gladii. It was considered bad luck amongst the Silas gladiators if anyone touch another gladiator’s swords before they fought. As the tall blond boy presented Laura’s swords to her, she smirked, placing her helmet on and taking the weapons, revelling in the familiar weight in her palms.

She moved to enter the arena but was stopped by Domina, the short woman’s eyes boring holes into Laura’s.

“You are the champion, and they are nothing. Put them in their place.” That was the kindest thing that Domina had ever said, to anyone. Laura nodded, bouncing on the balls of her feet as the gate before her opened onto the sand. She was ready for this. She was ready to wet the sand with the blood of someone who didn’t even deserve her time.

Stepping out onto the sand caused the crowd to go even wilder than they had been. This was _Spartaca_. Anyone new who hadn’t seen her fight would have been disappointed, and even amused, at her size. But the stories were all true.

Reaching the centre of the sand, Laura held up her swords, allowing the thundering cheers from the crowd to wash over her and empower her. Turning, she saw a flash of red that caused her blood to boil more than anything. Her friends were here. Why where they here? Had they not listened to her? No of course they hadn’t. They never did when it came to anyone’s safety but her own. She was going to talk to them about this later. It was too dangerous for them to be there. Why would they risk everything?

But, deep down, Laura knew.

It was for the same reason that she still fought. There was a power over the arena that held everyone in its sway. There was something almost enchanting about seeing such strength pitted against one another. It was _addictive_. It didn’t matter if they shouldn’t be there, they _couldn’t_ stay away.

Laura’s eyes met Lilita’s and the ancient vampire nodded to her. Laura bowed her head back. She knew what the Dean wanted. Another life. Another victory. And it would only be too easy to give her what she wanted.

Mammon stood and the crowd quietened to hear her speak.

“I present to you, the Champion of Silas, Spartaca!” as expected, the crowd screamed in excitement and support for the black-clad fighter. Lilita smiled. This was all too easy. After a little while, she held her hands up for more silence, the light glinting brilliantly off the precious metal in her prosthetic arm. “And the challenger. Back to prove her worth, the only gladiator to have been given the Rudiarius, the God of the Arena, Carmilla!”

Laura’s head whipped around, the adrenaline turning to ice in her veins. It couldn’t be. It made sense but Laura refused to acknowledge it.

Through the opposing gate, another small, lithe figure jogged out. Unlike Laura, Carmilla wore no helmet, her face framed by her raven locks. Even from where she stood, Laura could see the rage that the vampire felt towards her in her dark eyes.

Like Laura, Carmilla wore black armour, however, unlike her own, Carmilla’s was adorned with silver, making her appear much less devilish than Laura. Like Laura, the brunette fought with two gladii.

Laura’s breathing echoed loudly within the confines of her helmet. This wasn’t right. She couldn’t fight Carmilla. She had to let Carmilla know it was her. But even then, the brunette might see it fit to kill her for all the death she had caused. No. Carmilla wasn’t like that. Carmilla was like her and knew that strain of the arena. She knew that there were no choices in the arena other than kill or be killed. Carmilla would _understand_.

“Car-“ Laura began but was cut off abruptly as Carmilla dashed at her, swinging accurately. If Laura hadn’t ducked and rolled then she would have been sliced to shreds.

Coming out of her roll, Laura just managed to get her swords up in time to block Carmilla’s, the blonde’s muscles screaming in protest against the sting of shock that came from the power of the vampire’s blows. Laura had fought vampires before, but Carmilla was different. Carmilla was faster than anyone she had ever fought and it took all of Laura’s concentration to avoid being hit by the brunette, never mind her landing a blow of her own. Carmilla was good. Laura had to play this out carefully.

Seeing an opening, Laura ducked down and switched the gladius in her left hand to a backhanded position, aiming for Carmilla’s leg. She didn’t want to hurt her, but she had to slow her down. Just enough to let her get a word in.

Carmilla, however, had years of experience and she stepped out of the way of the attack before trying to bring both of her gladii down upon the blonde’s back. Laura threw herself into Carmilla, sending both girls to the ground. Just as Laura opened her mouth to reveal herself, a foot smashed into her chest, sending her flying. She crashed into the ground hard and her head swam. She only held one gladius, not knowing where the other one was. Pushing herself up, gave threw caution to the wind and opened her mouth to scream the truth to Carmilla, damn the consequences.

But the words never came.

They stuck to Laura’s throat with shock as she looked down to see the sword wedged deep within her abdomen. Looking up she saw Carmilla standing over her, a hard glint in her eyes, but Laura could recognise the bloodlust.

“Carm-“

The brunette spun on her foot withdrawing the blade from Laura’s abdomen and in one smooth action, sliced cleanly through Spartaca’s throat.

Carmilla watched as the small body sunk to the ground, her blood drenching the sand. It was over. Spartaca was dead. The Dean’s best fighter was no longer a problem.

Kneeling down, Carmilla couldn’t stop the curiosity of Spartaca’s true identity. This person who had caused so much pain and had posed such a threat to the students of Silas.

The vampire’s bloodlust cleared as she took Spartaca’s helmet off.

Glassy, chestnut eyes stared forever unseeingly, and Carmilla’s world came crashing down.


	19. The Aftermath

It wasn’t possible.

Carmilla stared at the body before her, unable to move, unable to think, unable to comprehend that this was _Laura_. Her Laura. In defence of the trauma before her, Carmilla’s mind turned to denial. Surely this couldn’t be her Laura. Laura was out studying with Taylor. She was safe. She wasn’t involved with all of this. And she sure as Hell wasn’t involved with the Dean. No this wasn’t Laura. It _couldn’t_ be her.

But as she continued to search the lifeless face, forever frozen in shock, Carmilla began to notice some worryingly familiar details. There was a deep bruise just under this person’s jaw, in the exact place where Carmilla had sucked a hickey only last night, but a lot of people have bruises, right? Searching the face again, Carmilla refused to meet the eyes, her own eyes falling upon the little mole that she loved so much just above the corner of the right side of the lips. Laura’s lips. She had loved kissing that mole; it had always caused Laura to blush and giggle.

Carmilla’s body had started to shake. Try as she might, she couldn’t avoid the fact that this _was_ Laura. Finally, she dragged her eyes up the face, feeling the bile rise as she took in the familiar features. Then she looked into the eyes that she knew so well. Wide with shock and glassy in death, those chestnut eyes no longer held the bright spark of life, nor the warmth of the brunette’s soul. Carmilla choked out a sob as the realisation of what she had done crashed down upon her.

_She had killed Laura_.

“No,” hot tears rained down her face, mingling with the blood that had splatted across her from that last fatal blow. She took Laura by the shoulders and began shaking her, gently at first, as if she were trying to wake her from a deep sleep. “Laura, you have to wake up.” Carmilla’s voice broke. “Please, Laura. You have to wake up. Please don’t leave me.” She leant down, resting her head against the blonde’s collarbones as a strangled wail tore through her.

Carmilla wasn’t aware of the silence that had fallen over the arena. Nobody had expected Spartaca to fall. Especially not so easily. And what was more shocking was the heart-wrenching mourning that the victor seemed to be going through.

The scent of Laura’s blood was overpowering. It was no longer sweet enough to enchant any vampire, but rather, it was sour, as if death had corrupted the purity to it. Or maybe, Carmilla’s own sense of smell had changed because it was her who had caused the blood to be spilt.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”

Carmilla looked up and through blurry eyes saw Danny standing there. The brunette looked back down at the little body in her arms. Had Laura always been this small? There were no words that Carmilla could say that could convey how she was feeling. Looking back to the redhead, Carmilla saw her own brokenness reflected in Danny’s usually bright eyes. Now they were dull as they took in the scene before her.

She hadn’t understood why Carmilla had reacted like that when she had taken Spartaca’s helmet off, but it had set a bad feeling off throughout her entire being. Something wasn’t right. Carmilla should have been rejoicing. She had killed Spartaca. It was what they had been planning to do for so long now. But then, as she, Kirsch, Perry and LaFontaine had discreetly made their way down from the stands onto the sand, they heard the woeful cry from Carmilla. There was only one reason as to why she would make that noise. With nervous steps, they approached where the brunette knelt, cradling the body of Spartaca.

As they got nearer, the could make out the dark blonde hair that fanned out across the sand, sand that was stained red with Spartaca’s blood. No. Not Spartaca, _Laura_. Danny stopped short, her heart aching as it broke at the sight of the girl before her.

Laura’s skin was ashen, her lips turning greyer with every passing second. Her eyes were frozen wide open, but the eyes hardly resembled Laura’s warm, caring ones. In death, they had turned cold and unseeing. Laura’s mouth was parted slightly, caught in the moment of saying one last word, something that they would never know.

Then Danny saw something that made her double over and heave heavily. Across Laura’s throat was a deep gash, remnant of Carmilla’s last fatal blow. She tried to ignore the bubbles of air that popped lazily in the pool of blood that had collected in the gash.

And there, sat holding her as if she was the one who was suffering the most, was Carmilla. Danny wanted to hate her so much. Wanted to blame her for Laura’s death. Sweet Laura who was more pure-hearted than all of them. But she couldn’t. Danny could see the heartbreak and self-loathing in Carmilla’s eyes. The rational part of her brain told her than Carmilla hadn’t known. Carmilla would never have hurt Laura. But Danny needed to blame someone and the thought of blaming Laura caused a whole new wave of nausea to rush over her. She couldn’t even begin to comprehend that Laura was willingly working for the Dean.

From the other side of the arena appeared a few gladiators. Danny bristled and grabbed a black gladius that lay at her feet. These were bad people. These were people who were in league with the Dean. _People like Laura_. The voice whispered through Danny’s mind and she tried to push it away, but the words struck some deep truth within her. Something that she was trying to avoid thinking about.

The gladiators warily approached. Heading them were two well-built fighters: a tall blond guy and a thickset Asian girl. Danny recognised the girl as the one they had kidnapped when Laura had gone missing for those first few days after being attacked by a vampire. The redhead couldn’t help the seed of doubt that spread through her mind. _Had there even been a vampire at all_?

Beside Danny, Kirsch strode forward, fists clenched. His cheeks were wet with tears but his eyes held a deep anger that seemed foreign on his usually friendly face.

“Taylor, you son of a bitch. I trusted you, dude. I thought you were one of the good guys. One of _us_.” He swiped angrily at his eyes as more tears fell. “Little L…” he couldn’t go on as he choked on a sob, bowing his head as more tears fell. He couldn’t admit to himself that Laura was gone. The tiny little nerd hottie was dead. Right before him. He’d never felt more betrayed in that moment. Not when Laura, possessed by the Dean, had given him up; not even when he found out that his best bro, Will, had turned out to be a vampire.

Carmilla had looked up at Kirsch’s words and her resolve crumbled further. Taylor was here. Taylor was one of _them_. He and Laura had never gone to study. The conversation she had overheard what seemed like a lifetime ago suddenly came to mind, and the brunette found herself understanding it more. She was beginning to understand everything. But there was one thing that caused the pain to redouble.

Why hadn’t Laura told anyone?

Why hadn’t Laura told _her_?

Carmilla would have understood. She knew the strain of being in the arena. Of being a puppet on Mammon’s strings. So why didn’t Laura tell _her_ about all this? Carmilla refused to believe that it was because the blonde had enjoyed it. As she had once done.

“Kirsch…” Taylor stepped forward, only to be stopped by Danny, holding the gladius out at him. “You don’t understand.”

“Damn right I don’t understand.” Kirsch growled.

Taylor opened his mouth to say more, but the Asian girl placed a hand on his arm, stopping him. With a shake of her head she motioned to something behind Danny, Kirsch, LaF and Perry. They turned and froze as they saw Lilita Morgan approaching, walking on the sand as smoothly as if she were floating.

Carmilla stared at the woman she had once called mother. Now there was nothing but unbridled hatred for the woman who could appear so calm at such a situation. Who put her through such pain. Again. To the Dean’s left walked a woman that Carmilla remembered to be the Domina, and to Mammon’s right, was Mattie. The realisation that Mattie had known all along who Laura was engulfed Carmilla and threatened to make her throw up. Her own _sister_ …

Lilita looked at Laura’s body with a mixture of regret and resentment. She tutted.

“Now look what you have gone and done, Mircalla.” Her voice floated around the people present like silk. But her words were edged with blades, cutting deep into all who listened. “She was safe with me.” Danny let out a frustrated breath through her nose. Was there no end to her lies? Lilita turned her dark eyes disapprovingly on the redhead before moving them back to Carmilla. “She was protecting you. And you killed her.”

The words had a desired effect. Carmilla looked down to the girl in her arms. The girl who had gone through so much for them. To protect them. Lilita had used them as leverage so that Laura would fight for her. Carmilla swallowed hard. She understood now. And that was the worst part. She now knew why Laura had done all this, and as a result, Carmilla had rewarded her with a gruesome death. A death that was a mockery of the life of the girl in her arms.

Placing Laura gently upon the sand, Carmilla stood on shaking legs. She had killed Laura, and now she was going to kill Lilita. She had nothing left. Nothing worth living for. Her sister had betrayed her, her mother had caused so much pain, Laura was gone and Carmilla refused to live another day without the blonde, let alone an eternal life. An idea struck her.

“Turn her.” she said, her words causing her friends to turn to her in shock. They hadn’t even considered that as an option. But would it be worth it? Laura would come back to them, but at what cost? How much of their Laura would even still be there?

Lilita sighed dramatically. “You know I cannot do that. She’s too far gone. You cut her throat and she bled out. There can be no exchange of blood.”

“I have to try!” Carmilla shouted, pleading that for once her mother would try, for her.

“You shall do no such thing! This girl is to stay dead!” Lilita snapped, causing Carmilla to falter.

Carmilla swayed lightly. She couldn’t even bring Laura back. She knew that the Dean was right, Laura was too far gone to bring back. She had lost too much blood. She had been dead for too long already. Laura was _gone_.

Reaching down to pick the small body up, Carmilla was stopped by her mother’s voice.

“You shall not be taking her. She became my property as soon as she started protecting you. And I shall dispose of her as I see fit.”

“What does that mean? Why can’t we take her?” Danny said, raising her sword as Lilita turned to her again.

“You petulant little child. If you only knew-“

“Mother.” Carmilla had never sounded so young, so broken before. “Please.”

“Oh my dear. You should have known from the moment that you betrayed me that I would destroy your world. Do you really think that I thought that she could have defeated you?”

The Dean had sent Laura to her death. And not just a regular death, but the death at the hands of the one she loved most. Carmilla’s hand curled into a fist.

“You callous, evil, bitch.” She spat, causing Lilita’s eyebrows to raise slightly. “I will kill you for this. For Laura.”

She made to charge at Mammon, but was stopped short by her sister. Mattie wrapped her arms around Carmilla, dragging her away. She was older than Carmilla, and so much stronger too. The brunette stood no chance of getting free. Carmilla screamed Laura’s name, again and again and again. She couldn’t leave her. Not to her mother. She had to do the right thing. She had to take her.

Danny and LaF shared a look and before either Lilita or any of her minions could react, LaF threw a holy water and silver grenade straight at the Dean whilst Danny grabbed Laura’s body and, with the help of Kirsch, ran from the arena, not daring to look behind.

*

The door to the dorm room slammed open and Mattie all but threw Carmilla into the room, barring her from trying to rush back out.

“Bring her back! I need to get to her.” Carmilla sobbed, pounding uselessly against Mattie’s shoulders. “She needs me. I have to help her.”

Mattie might have disliked the small blonde, but her care for her sister ran hundreds of years deep. Circling her arms around the brunette, Mattie held Carmilla as the tears began to fall again. There was nothing that she could say that would ease her pain. Mattie knew her sister, and she knew that she would never forget what she did to Laura, and she would _never_ forgive herself for it.

Carmilla squirmed against her sister’s embrace. Pushing the older vampire away, she glared at the person she had once called sister.

“You knew!” she cried. “You knew that Laura was…” she faltered. She couldn’t even say it, it seemed too ridiculous. “Why didn’t you warn me?” she finished quietly.  

Mattie frowned, finally avoiding Carmilla’s dark, damaged eyes. “I couldn’t. Not only had Mother forbid it, but Laura-“

“No. You do not have any right to say her name.”

Mattie flinched. She had never seen Carmilla this angry before. “ _Fine_. As far as I am aware, she was working privately for Mother. You know how she gets. Mother will tell you a fraction of her plans, but no one but her would ever be aware of the extent of them.”

Carmilla was loathe to admit that she knew the truth to Mattie’s words. Mammon always had kept her truest intentions to herself and only herself.

“Just… just leave.” Carmilla turned and stalked into the bathroom, trying to escape the overwhelming scent of Laura that permeated throughout their shared room, but to little success. Unsurprisingly, remnants of the small blonde resided everywhere. What hurt Carmilla the most was that she could see signs of Laura presuming that she would come back. That she would have survived the fight.

_But she hadn’t_.

And the little post-it note on her laptop telling her to re-read and edit the third paragraph of her essay was of no use. Nor were the new bottles of bath scents were never going to get used. Those new trainers would never be worn, the waltz classes would never be attended, that new fantasy book series wouldn’t get read, the songs she would never hear.

_She wasn’t coming back_.

Carmilla raised her hands, as if to run them through her hair, only to stop and stare at blood that now stained them. Laura’s blood. It had cracked in the places where it had been thickest and in other places it had stained her pale skin a ruddy red. Carmilla heaved at the sight. At the smell. At the knowledge that she was the reason that the blood was there, that Laura wasn’t coming back.

With shaking hands, Carmilla turned the tap on, running the water as hot as possible before thrusting her bloody hands underneath, ignoring the sting of the scalding water. As she scrubbed at herself, she watched the water turn a faint red, washing until the water ran clear.

But she didn’t feel clean. She knew that she would never be able to wash away the weight and guilt of her actions. With a cry she flung her hands down, shattering the sink into dust. But it wasn’t enough. Flashes of Laura’s shocked expression flittered through her mind. She could almost imagine what had been going through the blonde’s mind when she had first seen Carmilla step onto the sand. The last thing she had seen had been Carmilla’s hatred. Carmilla’s inner monster.

Carmilla struck out, her fist creating a spiderweb of cracks to erupt throughout the mirror’s surface. She struck again and again, waiting for the pain to hit her. But it never did. She was physically numb and couldn’t feel anything anymore. Laura was _gone_. She had no right to feel. A single shard fell from the mirror, creating a domino effect so that the entire mirror came crashing down around her, cutting into her skin.

Carmilla stood for a moment, surverying the damage around her, before she crumpled to her knees, her hands covering her mouth as a body wracking sob tore through her and her tears flowed freely again.

_Laura was gone._

*

Danny sat hunched in the cold, dark room. She had been trying for a little while now to look at the small body laid out before her, but couldn’t bring herself to. In looking, she would be accepting that Laura was gone, and she wasn’t ready to do that.

The room was situated underneath the campus church and smelt of a damp muskiness. The redhead barely noticed. They had carried Laura here, thinking that the vampires wouldn’t be able to step upon the hallowed ground of a church. And Danny refused to take the body back to the dorm room. She was going to keep Laura as far away from Carmilla as possible. Keep her safe. As if it wasn’t too late for the blonde. A shudder ran through Danny and she tried to drag her eyes to look at the corpse before her. Not yet.

She only vaguely remembered getting here. Of placing the body down gently, scared to hurt Laura further. And then she had shouted. She had shouted at the others to leave. To just leave them alone. Why couldn’t they leave her alone? She remembered the sombre look on LaF’s face, and the understanding one on Perry’s, and Kirsch, he had looked so hurt, but he didn’t fight her. He knew that she needed to be alone, to grieve in her own way.

Danny nearly threw up then when, through the coppery blood and damp must, she caught a whiff of Laura’s perfume. She had once liked that smell and had often told the blonde that before she got with Carmilla. She used to think that the blonde wore it just because she had said she liked it. Such things seemed so distant and trivial now.

That smell had given her the push to look up. Laura’s skin grew greyer with each passing minute, her lips a shade of blue that could only ever be associated with death. Kirsch had closed Laura’s eyes before leaving and now her eyelids were shrunken, dark shadows, contrasting to her pale pallor. Danny tried to remember the exact colour of Laura’s eyes when she had been alive, but all she could see in her mind’s eye were the dead, dull ones upon the bloody sand. When Laura had been alive, she had exerted such energy and life all the time that it had seemed contagious. No more. Danny refused to look at Laura’s neck.

Laura was still dressed in her gladiator armour. Up close, Danny could see the red Hellish detail which contrasted with the deep black. In some other time, some other place, some other life, she might have thought it beautiful for the impact it had upon all who looked at it. But now it was yet another reminder that Laura was Spartaca. A reminder of death.

“Why couldn’t you tell us?” Danny croaked out, her voice catching. “Why couldn’t you tell _me_? I could have helped you. I could have protected you.” She stopped, realisation turning the blood in her veins to ice. “Was it my fault? Did I push you that far that you had to prove that you could look after yourself?” she dropped her head into her hands, blinking away tears. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I _know_ how strong you are. I did it because I care. _Cared_.” She amended bitterly. “And now you’re…” she sniffed and straightened up, looking down at the face before her. The more she talked to Laura, the more she thought she could see the blonde begin to look peaceful.

“I always admired you, you know. You went after what you wanted, even if people told you not to. You went where you had to be and you tried to make things better for everyone. You always did the right thing, no matter the cost.

“So what changed?”

*

Kirsch was only vaguely aware of the cold stone against his back, but he didn’t care about it. Since Danny had yelled at him and the others to leave her alone, he had sat outside the church waiting for her to come out, or for him to be let in. He understood Danny’s pain. She had to come to terms with everything that had happened. They all did. And that happened in different ways. Everyone coped differently.

As he sat there, his mind couldn’t focus on a single thing. Images played through his mind, and he wished that they would stop, but he couldn’t stop seeing the way that Spartaca – no, Laura – had stopped fighting when Carmilla had gone onto the sand. He hated himself. He should have known. He should have realised. It was so obvious now. Spartaca always fought back, but she didn’t against Carmilla. Laura would have never hurt Carmilla.

_Laura_.

Kirsch thumped the back of his head against the wall a couple of times. The pain didn’t numb how he felt on the inside. _Laura was dead_. His little nerd hottie. An honorary zeta. His bro. Tears pricked at Kirsch’s eyes and he threw his head back and screamed.

It was a painful sound, full of raw agony and sorrow. He didn’t know what else to do. He should have been there for Laura, but instead he was so wrapped up in his infatuation with Danny that he hadn’t even noticed that she had become a freaking underground gladiator! He should have been there for her.

And then there was Taylor. Zetas were meant to protect those weaker than them, and Taylor was killing them instead. Taylor was no Zeta – no brother of his. Kirsch couldn’t even comprehend the level of betrayal he felt towards the blond. He had always admired how much Taylor wanted to help people. He was a freaking pre-med for god’s sake. And then he was one of them. One of the gladiators. He couldn’t understand.

Closing his eyes, he saw the ugly gash across Laura’s throat. Death was not beautiful. Not for Laura. Her death seemed to be a mockery of the life she had lived. A good life. A life where she had tried to help everyone around her. Only for it to end like _that_ , with no explanation.

Kirsch ran his hand back and forth through his hair. Try as he might, he couldn’t un-see Laura’s tiny body, growing stiff in Danny’s arms. Nor could he forget the regret that shone through Taylor’s eyes at the sight of Laura’s death. He couldn’t block those awful memories from resurfacing and circling through his mind and projecting onto the back of his eyelids.

Bringing his knees up, Kirsch dropped his head onto them and wrapped his arms around them, feeling his heart ache with the loss of someone else who had meant so much to him.

*

Perry bustled around the kitchen, busying herself with her baking. On one side of the kitchen she had a rich brownie mixture, whilst on the other side, she was making a massive batch of chocolate chip cookies.

_Laura’s favourites_.

An empty baking tray clattered noisily to the floor. Perry sagged against the worktop. She was trying to keep going, but it was so hard. She couldn’t stop seeing Laura’s face. She couldn’t stop the ringing of Carmilla’s mournful wail through her ears. She couldn’t stop smelling Laura’s blood upon the hot sand. She couldn’t ignore it. She couldn’t keep going.

She had locked herself in the kitchen as soon as they had got back to the dorm building, ignoring LaF’s banging on the door. She had to keep busy. She had to keep going. She had to remain normal. She had to.

Breathing deeply, she couldn’t stop the shaking that had taken over her body. She couldn’t help but feel it was her fault. She had known how dangerous Carmilla was. How dangerous that whole family was, and yet she had stood to the side and let Laura continue her relationship with the vampire. A _vampire_ for goodness sake.

She hadn’t cried yet. She was in too much shock from it all to really have come to terms with the fact that Laura was gone. That all this time Laura had been Spartaca, the person who they had been trying to take down this entire time. _Oh god, we talked about killing her_ to _her_ , she thought distractedly with a sick feeling in her stomach.

Staring down at the worktop, Perry couldn’t help the feeling that she could have prevented this. She should have warned Laura that Carmilla was dangerous. That any involvement with Lilita Morgan would result in someone’s death. But never for one moment had Perry even considered that that death would be Laura’s.

*

Carmilla didn’t know how long she had been sitting on her bed, staring at Laura’s side of the room. She didn’t dare touch anything of the blonde’s for fear of breaking it. She already had dealt enough damage.

After destroying the bathroom, she had managed to change her clothes, mainly to get the bloody garments off herself and try to escape the nauseating smell of Laura’s blood.

As she sat, she realised that she was waiting. Waiting for Laura to walk through the door, perfectly unharmed, claiming that this had all been one big mistake and that she wasn’t Spartaca. That it had all been someone else. Carmilla would have waited forever if that were to happen.

Without warning, the door slammed open. Carmilla didn’t even flinch. She wanted it to be her mother, finally here to finish it. To finish her. To end her pain.

But fate had other plans.

LaFontaine stumbled in, mumbling to themselves as they distractedly made their way through the room.

“-no, it’s not possible. There has to be a reason. I need to know. I know you, L. You must have left something. Something that explained everything. You _must_ have.” They seemed to see Carmilla for the first time. “Perry was baking and she locked the door to the kitchen so I had to leave her alone and I think she’s alright but I don’t really know but I had to know something because in all this I know nothing and I’m not used to knowing nothing and I don’t like it and then I realised that there has to be _something_.”

Uneasiness crept through Carmilla’s depressive numbness. She had never seen the ginger scientist like this before. They had always been so calm and collected, no matter what they were confronted with. But now they were barely breathing they were speaking so quickly.

LaF had turned from Carmilla, and opened up Laura’s laptop, causing the vampire to react.

“Do not touch her things.” She growled, causing LaF to pause.

They turned to her with wide eyes, before their face softened in understanding. “I won’t break anything, I promise. I need to know. We all do.”

Carmilla wanted to stop them. She wanted to physically throw them out of the room. But she couldn’t. They were right. She had to know. She had to know that Laura wasn’t willingly working for her mother past protection for them. Hesitantly, Carmilla nodded for the redhead to continue.

LaF sat in Laura’s desk chair and began attempting to guess the blonde’s password whilst Carmilla watched over carefully. She didn’t want anything of Laura’s being damaged.

With each failed attempt, LaF grew more and more frantic, their fingers dashing across the keyboard, typing in every word that they associated with Laura. There had to be _something_.

After what felt like hours of trying to hack into Laura’s laptop – thank god there weren’t a limited number of tries to unlock it – LaF succeeded in gaining access. However, there was no celebration. After all, what was there to celebrate? They shouldn’t have been doing this in the first place. They shouldn’t have had any need to do this.

Carmilla watched closely as LaF flicked through file after file on the blonde’s laptop. Finally, they stopped at one and tilted their head as they read the information about it.

“This was updated yesterday…” They said quietly, turning their eyes to Carmilla.

Carmilla’s face hardened and her eyes flashed as she said, “Go get the others.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This... this was not a nice chapter to write.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who read, commented and liked the last chapter. The response to it was overwhelming.   
> As always, let me know what you thought and feel free to find me on tumblr @warrioroftheice   
> Thanks


	20. Right, Wrong and the Area Between

Laura’s face flickered onto the screen. It was so undeniably _Laura_ that everyone was hit with the loss all over again. The blonde was gone. She was never coming back.

On screen, Laura blinked at the camera before smiling slightly.

_“Greeting’s gentle viewers…” she flinched and the smile dropped from her lips and an overwhelming sadness took over her entire countenance. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes slid from looking at the audience to somewhere beyond the camera, however, it was clear that her mind was much further away. If it weren’t for her steady breathing and blinking, it would appear that the video had been paused._

Carmilla stared desperately at the image before her. She took in all the little details that she could, from the small crease in between Laura’s eyebrows, to the very occasional sigh that indicated that her thoughts were going a little too dark. After eight minutes, Laura blinked and turning back to the camera. She checked the time, her eyebrow quirking slightly, before meeting the gaze of the audience again. It was odd, seeing Laura so uncomfortable with the camera on her. Carmilla remembered Laura saying that filming no longer felt like her and for the first time, she could see the truth behind the words. The calendar behind the blonde showed that this recorded was months ago. Had Laura been so lost to them for months?

_“I guess I should start at the beginning…” she sighed, trying to find the right words. “It’s all a lie.” Uttering the words out loud caused Laura to look around her uncertainly, as if she expected someone to come for her immediately. When nothing happened, she relaxed ever so slightly, shaking her head. “What am I doing?” she paused, as if trying to find the answer to her own question. “If you’re watching this, please don’t hate me. I don’t know what has happened to make you see this, but I need you to know_ my _story.” For the first time in the video, a spark came to Laura’s eyes that was so reminiscent of last semester._

_“Gladiatorial Studies is a ruse for Lilita Morgan to make her own personal army. At first it didn’t occur to me what it meant. I was meeting new people and I was excelling in the class. I was – I am good at fighting. Little Laura Hollis, top of her class, who would have thought?”_

The alien bitterness in her voice caused everyone to flinch.

_“But I was naïve. I was_ wrong _. I don’t know if I can survive in this world. It’s kill or be killed and that goes against everything I believe in. Dad always told me that my life is important and that should it come to it, I had to fight, and I went along with his words because I never thought that I would be in a situation where it was necessary to do so. And now look where I am._

_“But I can’t just leave. The Dean made me a compromise that I couldn’t refuse. She said that as long as I fought for her, she wouldn’t hurt any of my friends. That means Carmilla… and Danny, LaF, Perry, Kirsch, they’ll all be safe. For now at least.” A sad smile came to Laura’s face as she spoke. “It’s funny how things turn out. I’ve always been told that I’m the one who needs protection when it’s my friends who need it the most, and if it’s me who can do it, then I sure as Hell am going to do my best. Even if it means that they end up hating me, I hope that one day they will understand. Lilita Morgan gives no direction for you to go in except her own. And she thinks having me by her side gives her an advantage. But I’m just me. Just_ normal _Laura Hollis. A normal girl stuck in an extraordinary circumstance.”_

Carmilla would have given the world to let Laura know that she wasn’t normal. That she was the most extraordinary person that she had ever met. That she had been told years ago that she was fated to be her match. That should have meant more than dying at the end of the other’s sword.

_Laura sighed, looking down. “I just want to keep everyone safe. That’s all I ever wanted. Human beings are so fragile, so breakable, and yet look at what they achieve, what they go through, what they survive. But I will fight. I refuse to become the Dean’s puppet. I don’t know how but I will do what I can to help bring her down. For everyone. For Carmilla.”_

_The image flickered. Laura was back at her desk, dressed in different clothing and with a different look in her eyes. There was a more guarded expression, causing hard lines to etch onto her face. Again she was just sitting before the camera, thinking._

Carmilla knew which day this was. It was the day that she had come back from class to find Laura reading Harry Potter in that odd position. The memory no longer brought the brunette joy, rather it caused a bitter taste to form in her mouth, like the memory had turned to ash. Just like everything else she touched.

_“I came up with an idea with Lilita today…” she began, her eyes not meeting the camera._

Carmilla flinched at how familiar Laura sounded saying Mammon’s name. How often had they been meeting? How deep had her mother got her claws in Laura?

_“I’ve killed four people now. I see them when I close my eyes. I see their blood everywhere. It haunts me. I don’t know how many more people I will have to kill before I can get anywhere close enough to dealing with Lilita.” She released a shuddering breath, her body shaking involuntarily with the weight of her thoughts. “I’m scared I will lose myself.” She looked up, much in the way that people do when they pray, but Laura had never hinted at her religion and the act seemed odd on her. “I remember when I first saw this school. I was_ so excited _. I thought it would be all mysteries that needed solving and, like_ Scooby Doo _, I thought it would only ever be a human behind the mask. Not unspeakable evils, not ancient vampires, not primordial beings. Dad tried to prepare me to face the dangers of the world but he never could have known what was truly out there.”_

_Looking back down, she finally met the eyes of the audience. “I always dreamt of being a hero. I always wanted to be the hero, anyone’s hero. And if I couldn’t, then I would be someone who would, who_ could _, help others. Like my mom would have wanted. But what if I’m not. What if I’m the very thing that I’ve tried so hard to fight?”_

They were all loath to admit it, but Laura had a point. They had no idea that she had been Spartaca until Carmilla had pulled the helmet from her lifeless body. How much more did they not know about her? What other foul deeds were they to uncover about the tiny blonde who had barrelled into each any every heart there? But, at the same time, it was clear that Laura took no pleasure in whatever tasks she had done. She was doing everything for them. And not only them. She was trying to protect Silas from Mammon by putting herself between the school and the Dean.

Carmilla knew that Laura was the hero that she had always wanted to be. She was old and knew that saving the world would be a whole lot easier if you could just remain innocent. If your conscience was always clear and you never made mistakes. But a moment of forgetting wasn’t the same as a lifetime of apathy. She might not always have liked the decisions Laura made – Hell, she hated the majority of them – but she thought that it would have been infinitely more tragic if she had let that stop her from trying.

_Laura ran a hand through her hair, looking completely lost in a situation that was too big for her. A situation that was too big for any single person to deal with on their own._

_“This is the part of the journey that isn’t pretty, the part that I now know that they don’t write about in books. The part where you feel like utter crap because you’re trying to do the right thing and it sure as Hell doesn’t make you feel any better._

_“I told Lilita that I would send everyone off in the wrong direction where I can, and I plan on doing so. With each day that I’m working for her, she seems to lessen our contract and I’m worried that one day she will go back on her word and I won’t be able to do anything. If I can send my friends in the opposite direction to Lilita then I will because it will protect them._

_“I think I’m getting closer to finding a way to deal with her, and I can’t jeopardise the only opportunity that we’ve had to get close to the Dean. If they found out, Carmilla, Danny and everyone would be so mad at me, they might fear me, but I think above all they would tell me to stop. That it is too dangerous. Believe me when I say that I am aware of the danger, and I need to fight it if I don’t want to lose who I once was.”_

_She sighed and leaned back in her seat, picking up her battered copy of_ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix _and staring at it forlornly, resenting the happy memories that she had associated with it. After a little while she looked back to the camera._

_“I might not know how the world works, but I now understand what it takes to live in a bad world.”_

LaF paused the video. They couldn’t watch all of this in one go, and, judging by the pale, drawn faces around them, the others couldn’t stomach it either. They had wanted answers, but they hadn’t stopped to consider that in order to get them, they would witness Laura’s decline and would be confronted with evidence that they hadn’t known Laura as well as they thought. It was crushing.

“She was protecting us…” Danny choked out. “I never gave her credit…” her voice caught and she buried her face in her hands as the guilt of her overprotectiveness overwhelmed her.

“I don’t understand…” Kirsch frowned, his voice wobbling with barely concealed emotion.

Perry, ashen faced, looked from Danny to Kirsch to LaF to Carmilla who had remained silent. “We don’t know the whole story yet.”

LaF understood what the ginger was asking. She didn’t want to watch the rest of the video, but she was aware that they all had to, to find out the truth and what had been going through Laura’s mind. They respected Perry for that. Clenching their jaw and steeling their nerves, they turned back to the laptop and continued the video.

_Another timelapse and Laura’s face was before them again. She looked tired and worn, as if she was stretched too thin and close to breaking._

_“I was stupid.”_

Laura’s increasingly frequent admittances of the fact that she was wrong were uncomfortably unusual. The blonde was always so sure that she was doing the right thing, but she seemed to be doubting herself at every turn now.

_“I had always thought that my immediate friends would be the only ones effected by Spartaca. I had never even considered those around us. Carmilla has a sister. A sister! She already lost Will because of me and I don’t want her to lose Mattie either, no matter how much I don’t like her. Carmilla’s lost so much and I don’t want to be responsible for her losing anyone else. Well, except Lilita, I guess.”_

Carmilla swallowed hard. The lump in her throat was getting thicker and thicker and she refused to let her tears blur this last image of Laura. Her Laura. Laura who, despite everything that she was going through, cared more for Carmilla’s own well-being than her own. No one had ever tried to save her as hard as Laura, and not just in the moral way. Laura was desperately trying to save Carmilla from her mother, even at the cost of her own beliefs and world. In that moment, Carmilla could see that Laura had chosen her over her own world. The brunette was torn between love and complete and utter despair.

_“But it’s getting harder and harder for me to see what is right and what is wrong. If Lilita asks me to do something, I can’t say no. I can’t resist her anymore. Killing is getting easier – their faces just blur in my mind now. I don’t know what she’s done to me, but I think Lilita might be winning. I’m losing myself to her and I don’t have long left before I can no longer pick a side, and if it comes to that, I fear that I’ll pick the wrong one.”_

_Laura ran a hand across her face tiredly._

What worried everyone as they watched was the blonde’s acceptance. Laura seemed to have just given up. And that wasn’t like her at all. What was the Dean doing to her? How had she made Laura like this? How dare she!

_Surprisingly, Laura then smiled. A nostalgic smile that softened her face and harked back to the Laura that everyone remembered in her first semester._

_“I remember watching the_ Lion King _when I was little. I never understood why Mufasa told Simba that the time to live rises and falls like the sun. It made me sad when I was young. I hadn’t experienced death yet and the thought that life ended scared me. But now, I realise that we do lose people. But more importantly, we_ gain _people. And that’s all part of living, of what it takes to be alive._

_“If I were to die, I would fade to a memory. And then it’s up to others how they wish to remember me. I guess that’s part of why I keep filming. I want people to know the truth so that they aren’t stuck only one story. That they can see two sides and make their minds up for themselves. After all this philosophy that I’ve been looking at with Carmilla, I realise that having an open mind is so important.”_

_Staring deep into the camera she said, “I only hope that it works.”_

The next timelapse image of Laura gave them a very different view.

_Laura’s eyes were bright and there was a slight smile on her face, making her seem younger than she ever had in this video compilation. She seemed to be vibrating with energy as all but bounced in her seat. She even looked healthier. There was colour in her cheeks and a fire behind her eyes that had been missing for too long._

_“I’m not alone.”_

The revelation caused the others to start. They had been watching Laura struggle through all this on her own and now there was someone working with her. Who?

_“His name is Taylor and he hates being a gladiator as much as m-“ she paused, realising that she had grown to not hate it. “He hates it most of all.” Laura chewed her lip as she considered what to say._

_“It’s getting dangerous. Domina suspects our friendship but I don’t think she has any proof that we are anything but friends. I mean, I’m not dead.”_

A universal flinch ran through everybody. It was a sick twist of fate.

_Laura sobered quickly and the harshness re-entered her eyes. “In order for Project Daybreak to work, I betrayed the others. I told Lilita of their plan to attack her. She will be waiting for them when they attack. I hope she remembers our agreement and doesn’t hurt anybody. I don’t want to be put in a situation where I have to choose a side. I can’t do that yet.”_

Carmilla was the one to pause the video this time. She needed a moment to think. Laura had been the one to betray them to Mammon. She was the reason why they had been ambushed. And it was Taylor who had knocked her through the window. The brunette was shaking as she thought it through. She had no idea what Project Daybreak was and she tried to work out if it had been worth it. Carmilla had nearly died that night. Laura had nearly died that night. Had it been worth it?

Carmilla couldn’t help but think back to when she thought that she had lost Laura that night. She had felt so different than now. Maybe it was because she was responsible now. She was the reason that they had to resort to this video footage for an image of Laura. She had felt numb before, lost in her grief. But how she felt now was different. Her chest ached with grief and it took all of her willpower to not lash out at everyone and everything and destroy it. She wanted to, but she had already destroyed so much. Now all she wanted was revenge. And she was going to get it. She hit play.

_“I don’t know if I’ll ever be let off the hook for this, but… I belong on it. I am Captain Hook. I just keep thinking that there’s right, and then there’s wrong, and that I’m doing the right thing, but I just keep making all these messes. And this whole time I’ve been pushing everyone to ‘be better’ and ‘be good’… only I’m the one who betrayed them all, betrayed the sacred bonds of friendship and love. How is that good? How is that the right thing to do? How am I anything but a hypocrite saying that right and wrong are whatever I want them to be and… not caring how much damage I cause?_

_“I get lost in the grey area in between and keep finding myself on the wrong side of the spectrum. But I can see now that there is not just wrong and right, but the journey there is full of mistakes and broken promises. I hope to explain this to them in person and make them see that maybe, maybe I was doing the right thing after all.”_

The final timelapse showed Laura, bruised and cut up, but alive. This was recent. This can’t have been more than a few days ago.

_“It didn’t go to plan.” She whispered, her voice wavering. “Everyone got hurt. I hurt my friends. I hurt the ones I love for some hare-brained plan that might not even work. I should have known by now. I should have heard whether it worked. I hurt my friends for nothing. Carmilla nearly died because of me!” she cried loudly._

It was the biggest display of emotion that they had seen from the blonde so far and they realised quite how distressed Laura had been about it.

_“I’m going to tell them soon. There is just one more fight. And if they never want anything to do with me again then I will completely understand. I wouldn’t want anything to do with me. I don’t want anything to do with me right now.”_

_Laura sighed. She looked older than her nineteen years and, for the first time, everyone understood why. She sat there, unmoving and staring at something in her hands. Lifting her hands slightly, the sock puppet that Laura had once used to portray Carmilla was in her hands, a token of comfort._

_“It seems a lifetime ago that all this started. You saved me then, Carmilla, and I will save you now. I’m not going to let any of you have any more involvement in this. I started it and I fully intend to end it, one way or another.”_

The screen turned black.

Carmilla felt sick. It made so much sense, especially now seeing her go through it like this. She remembered thinking that Laura had been acting strangely and now she knew why. She knew the strain that the blonde had been under. The strange thing was, she felt no resentment towards Laura. No anger. Not even disappointment. Laura believed in good and heroism. She wasn’t a natural killer, no matter how naturally killing came to her. Laura had chosen the hardest path possible. She had chosen to take it alone, refusing to let anyone in. And Carmilla _understood_. Laura valued her friends’ lives above her own, but there was no doubt an element of the fact that she wanted to prove herself. All her life she had been told that she couldn’t do this, or couldn’t do that, and she had wanted to prove them all wrong.

Carmilla knew that immortality was more a curse than a blessing. It wasn’t living forever, it was watching those around you die.

“Fuck this!” Danny exclaimed, standing abruptly, tears in her eyes. “That… that _witch_ did this. And I’m not going to sit around whilst Laura lies dead in the crypt. She has to pay.”

Kirsch nodded, standing too. “Damn right, D-Bear. You get your Summer Psychos and I’ll get my Zeta bros and we’ll take the Scary Dean Lady on.”

Danny nodded. “For Laura.”

LaF stood, their eyes unfocused. “I’ll get the Alchemy Club and whoever else will listen.”

Finally Carmilla spoke up. She sighed. “I have no right to have any say in the matter, but I will destroy my mother, even if it kills me.”

Perry stood and touched Carmilla’s arm lightly. “Let’s hope that it doesn’t come to that.” The brunette frowned in confusion. She would never understand the ginger fairy-lover. “I say we meet back here in two hours.”

Danny nodded. “The Dean will be expecting us.”

Carmilla growled deeply. “Good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and being so patient with this update. Due to computer issues, it was delayed about a week.  
> As always, let me know what you thought and come find me on tumblr @warrioroftheice


	21. In the Name of All That is Good. In the Name of Laura Hollis. Part One.

When the call came, the societies answered.

Danny stood with the others before the array of students. They had each managed to convince their own individual societies and clubs, but what had shocked and moved them was how many other clubs and teams had also joined them in their fight.

The Swim Team intermingled with the Zetas and the Summers, showing off their webbed, clawed fingers and sharp gills; the Botanical Club and the Alchemy Club compared weapons, from the projectile cacti and bark armour to the silver tipped pitchforks and holy water hand grenades; whilst the Divination Club read the signs of anyone who asked.

As Danny looked through the students before her, she couldn’t help but notice the Zetas and Summers were interacting civilly. She recognised Mel, another Summer who was her rival in running for being the Summer Society president, comparing her bow to some Zeta’s dagger. She kept the back-stabbing thoughts to herself.

The redhead came to a stop beside Kirsch who was wearing his football shoulder-pads and helmet as armour. He brushed his arm against hers and the simple action allowed Danny the little bit of hope that had been trickling out of her since Laura had died.

“She would have liked all this.” Kirsch said quietly. Danny looked over to him, confused at what about this situation Laura could have possibly liked. “Everyone’s working together. Look around. Zetas and Summer Psychos aren’t trying to kill each other.” And he was right. Everyone was working together. And this was what Laura would have wanted. But it broke her heart that the cost for this had been Laura’s life.

Carmilla stood behind the others, grinding her teeth in frustration. This was taking too long. She knew that she should care that everyone was here for Laura, but the instant she let go of her anger, she knew she would crumble. So instead, she chose to focus on destroying her mother. Even if it meant that she was killed in the process.

Currently that didn’t seem like a terrible option compared to living an eternity without Laura.

Danny, too, was feeling the strain of passivity and made the decision that everyone who was going to be there was there. Attention turned to her as she stepped up before the crowd. She was vaguely aware of Kirsch standing behind her, showing his support for the Zetas.

“Laura-“ The name caught in her throat. Could she really do this? Everything had happened so quickly that she hadn’t been able to really process it. She was still reeling from Laura’s betrayal and death, and now she was leading the students against the Dean. Was she ready for this? Even if she wasn’t, she had to be. For Laura. She cleared her throat. “Laura always fought for everyone else. Even for this school. She always chose others over herself.” The redhead made eye contact with random members of the crowd, forcing them to listen to the truth behind her words. “And how was she repaid for her selflessness? Lilita Morgan, our _Dean_ , killed her. The Dean is poisoning our fellow students against us. Laura had tried to protect us, and…” even now, Danny struggled to say that Laura was dead out loud.

Kirsch, sensing the falter, stepped forward. “It’s in our hands now. Are we going to let more of our bros die? Like Hell _I_ am. We can’t let Laura’s death go overlooked. Not when she did so much for all of us.”

It had been a short speech, but there was little more to be said. Little more that they _could_ say. They wanted revenge. It was as simple as that.

The crowd was silent for a moment, staring intently at the two before them, before someone broke the silence with a shout:

“For Laura!”

Others took up the shout until all the students were chanting Laura’s name. At any other point, it would have felt like a triumphant cry, but the pain of loss was raw and the chant chipped away at already broken hearts.

With drawn faces, set in grim determination, they began the march to the Dean’s building.

*

Lilita had never been a fool.

The minute she had seen Carmilla kill Spartaca, she had set in motion her back-up plans for the inevitable uprising from the student body. Of course, sooner or later, the truth about the Silas Gladiators would have come out, but she would have much preferred it to be later, with Spartaca still under her control.

But if there was one thing that she had learnt in her many, many years, it was that life never went to plan.

And so it was that she was stood upon her balcony, watching the students approach with their pathetic rudimentary weapons and heroic notion of revenge. She watched with bored eyes as Carmilla and the pathetic excuses of “friends” stepped forward. With a flick of her hand, her gladiators stepped forward from the shadows of the building, causing the other students to stop.

“Did you really think that I wasn’t expecting this Mircalla? After your little spectacle with Laura?” amusement laced through her words and Lilita watched those before her bristle in anger.

“You have no right to say her name!” Carmilla spat back at her once-mother. How dare she act like she knew Laura!

“Oh my dear, I have every right to say her name. More so than her _murderer_ for sure. After all, she was mine, right from the start.”

Carmilla faltered at Lilita’s words, but Danny came forward. “Laura was _never_ yours. She was playing you the entire time. She fooled you!” A harsh callous laugh tore itself from the redhead’s throat. There was satisfaction at what Laura had achieved against the Dean.

Unsettlingly, Lilita, too, laughed. “That is impossible. You see, they are all mine, whether they want it or not.”

Unease rippled through Carmilla. What did that mean? What had she really done to Laura?

“ _What_. _Did_. _You_. _Do_?” she ground out. She feared the answer, but she had to know. She had to know that Laura wasn’t responsible for her actions.

The Dean surveyed them for a moment. She considered if it were wise to reveal the truth behind her plans to these lackwits, but her desire to hurt Carmilla pushed her to speak. She wanted to watch her daughter suffer and she wanted to show that defying her was useless.

“I gave her, and the others, a little… additive, so to speak.” She watched as uncertainty crept into their eyes. Finally, they were understanding the power that they were up against, and the futility in fighting it. “Pills are a funny little thing, don’t you think? Humans will take them if they think that it will help them, and yet, they never _really_ know what is in them.”

“What did you give Laura?” Danny asked in fearful horror. Her eyes turned to the stoic gladiators before her. “What did you give them all?”

Lilita stared disdainfully down at the redhead, not wanting to answer to such an inferior being, but she was so close to truly destroying them, and everything that they stood for, that she acquiesced.

“Those pills contained the very essence of evil itself. _The blood of the Ancient One_. Humans do not stand a chance against the effects once they have consumed it. They lose their morals. They are easier to control. They are _mine_.”

It took all of Carmilla’s will to not double over and retch. She knew that her mother had dug her claws into Laura, but she had never even known to what extent. No. It wasn’t even that. Lilita had poisoned Laura. Given her something that not even she knew she could survive. Behind her, she could hear Perry and Kirsch heaving at the realisation.

Lilita Morgan _had_ made Laura into a monster.

And Laura had no idea.

Laura couldn’t have fought it.

“You’re a monster.” She said quietly. She knew that her mother’s keen ears would have picked up on what she said, no matter of the distance.

“No darling. _You_ are the monster.” The Dean clucked her tongue in disapproval at her daughter and wondered what had happened to cause her to be so rebellious. How could a naïve child such as Laura Hollis turned her darling diamond against her? Had centuries of kinship meant nothing to her? She did lament the loss of Carmilla, but she was more irritated by the disobedience than she was forlorn at the loss. No one disobeyed Lilita Morgan and survived.

“You should know, though, I gave her a chance.” Carmilla watched warily. What new daunting piece of information was Lilita about to give them? “I doubted that she could defeat you. Nobody ever came close to bringing you down, _God of the Arena_.” Carmilla’s jaw tightened painfully. “I gave Laura something to slow you down. Told her to put it in your blood. But I told her it would poison you.” She tutted whilst shaking her head reproachfully. “I gave her a chance. A chance to live. Something that not even _you_ did. But she was weak and a fool.”

Carmilla struggled not to stagger against the revelation. Even after everything, Laura chose _her_. Laura fought against the poison in her system to protect her friends. To protect Carmilla. Mammon was right. Carmilla was a monster.

Lilita watched as Carmilla struggled with the news. She knew her well enough to know when Carmilla was trying to hide her emotions. The Dean motioned to Domina behind her to bring her a drink.

“ _Pugnare parabis_.” She barked to her gladiators below her. She watched in satisfaction as they obeyed her and formed a wedge formation. They had no choice but to obey her. She smirked as she took the martini from Domina. The students stood no chance.

*

Danny was frozen in place. She wanted to argue against all that the Dean had said, but she knew in her heart that it was true. Lilita Morgan’s most powerful weapon wasn’t her speed or fangs, but her words. She knew just when to deliver the most crushing news. She knew exactly how to render her opponents immobile.

The redhead watched as the gladiators efficiently formed a triangle and raised their weapons above their shields. She had fought them before and nearly hadn’t made it. She had little doubt that she wouldn’t come out of this alive.

Turning around, she saw the students standing unsure. They had all rallied under the concept of avenging a fallen student, but when faced with trained killers, they were close to balking.

“Form a line. Raise your defences.” She shouted, watching as they scrabbled into place. They had a plan, but now, she wasn’t sure if was going to work. Could they really face such a deadly throng of gladiators?

As the societies hurried to get into place, Danny turned to her friends. LaFontaine stood next to Perry, clutching a fire axe in one hand, and Perry’s hand in their other. Perry, white as snow, held a heavy cast iron frying pan in her free hand. Danny had no doubt that they were about to unleash Hell, not just for Laura, but for one another.

Kirsch stood beside her, tall in his makeshift armour, with a trident in one hand, both ends sharpened dangerously. He looked to her and nodded. Looking down to her own baseball bat, embedded with nails, a calmness settled over her. They were doing this. They were doing this for Laura.

Finally, the redhead turned to Carmilla. The brunette was standing stock still, eyes wide but flitting around. Danny knew that the Dean’s words had got to her. Got to them all. But now wasn’t the time to ponder them.

Stepping before the brunette, Danny saw no recognition in her eyes that she was there. Not questioning the safety of her movements, Danny roughly shook the brunette until her eyes focused on her.

“Carmilla. You can’t stop now. Laura didn’t stop. We have to do this. We have to get rid of your mother, once and for all. For Laura.” She finished softly.

Carmilla blinked slowly before nodding. “For Laura.”

Mouths set in firm lines, the five friends stood before their fate, accepting whatever it was that was about to come. They watched as the ranks of gladiators rippled and a lone warrior came to the front of their formation.

Dressed in black armour, adorned with scenes from Hell, face hidden behind the black helmet adorned with a blood red plume, equipped with black steeled gladii, they would know her anywhere.

_Spartaca_.

**Laura**.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness. Thank you to everyone who has been so patient with this chapter. It took such a long time to get out and was way shorter than what I intended, but I hope that it was all worth it.   
> I've been super busy recently, but I'm finding my writing feet again so I hope to write again as soon as I can and not keep you waiting too long.  
> As always, let me know what you thought in the comments, or come find me on tumblr @warrioroftheice


	22. In the Name of All That is Good. In the Name of Laura Hollis. Part Two.

Something wasn’t right.

There had always been a certain honesty to the way that Spartaca had held herself – how _Laura_ had held herself. The Spartaca before them was different. She was arrogant in her body language, rolling her shoulders and spinning the gladii in her hands. It was like she was ready for the fight that was about to be had. _Eager_ for it even.

There had never really been any doubt that Laura was a skilled fighter, but her background in Krav Maga meant that her movements had been particularly distinguishable. They had been precise and particular, as if the blonde had always known where she was going to strike, unlike the more powerful and reckless attacks of her fellow gladiators. But they hadn’t been fluid. Laura had a way of transitioning from one attack to another whilst keeping her defences up that showed a practicality that exhibited her need to survive.  She might have been amazing at it, but Laura Hollis was not meant to be a fighter.

But as Spartaca began to move up and down the line of gladiators, her walk alone exposed a smoothness that was unfaltering.

_What had Lilita done_?

Carmilla couldn’t drag her eyes away from the small form pacing before her. Laura was right there before her, offering her a chance to rectify what she had done. Carmilla could save her. She had let her down once before and she would be damned if it happened again.

But Carmilla knew her mother. She knew that if Lilita had done something to her, she would need to help Laura. She had to help Laura remember. Remember her, them, everything. But most importantly, help her remember herself. At least, she hoped that Laura wasn’t willingly fighting them.

Upon the balcony, Lilita watched the students falter in the presence of Spartaca. She sipped at her drink victoriously. She had won. They didn’t stand a chance against Spartaca. A triumphant smirk crawled onto her lips.

“Pugn-“ Her order was cut off with a violent cough, bursting from her mouth, right from her chest. Below, the students and gladiators turned to see the great Lilita Morgan, a woman who never showed any form of weakness, not even at having a limb taken from her, cough and splutter.

The Dean coughed again, her glass falling from her hand and shattering across the balcony, dashing blood across the white marble. Another cough ripped through her body, bringing forth a froth of bloody spittle, so dark it appeared to be black against her ashen skin. Her pained gasps echoed as she tried to control the coughing fits.

A great shriek tore from her throat and her fingers desperately clawed at her neck, trying to rid herself of the burning sensation that was crawling through her body. Her scratching became more frantic and her sharp nails gouged deep ruts from her skin, releasing sprays of more dark blood.

Her eyes rolled in their sockets as she began to claw at her face where the near-black blood was leaking through her pores, causing her ashen skin to break out in dark blotches. Great rivers of dark blood ran from her eyes, painting canals down her face until they reached the canyons that she had carved into her own flesh.

In her frenzied state, she began to tear at her eyes, frantically trying to rip them out to save herself the pain of them slowly expanding within their sockets and the veins within them rupturing.

Another foul screech gurgled from her throat as she doubled over, her nails trying to find purchase within her skin, and vomited a great stream of black.

For the first time, Spartaca faltered.

Lilita began to claw at her neck again, hooking her fingers deep beneath the skin and ripping, showering the gladiators beneath with great globules of clotting blood. With a final erratic spasm, she lurched forward, unseeing and unaware of anything but her pain, and keeled over the railing of the balcony where she fell to the ground with a dull smack. There, her body remained unmoving, aside from the continuing expansion of her cold, dead flesh.

A stunned silence fell across the students and gladiators before a mournful cry broke through the air.

Taylor removed his helmet as he took in the sight before him. The Dean, the all-powerful _Lilita Morgan_ , was dead. Destroyed from the inside out.

Spartaca took a few tentative steps towards the corpse, gladii hanging limply at her sides.

Taylor, feeling the burden of contract lift, stepped away from the other gladiators. He stumbled back towards the students who raised their own weapons as he approached. And he wasn’t alone.

Half the gladiators had turned and followed him, aware that they were no longer bound to Lilita Morgan, and were no longer her property.

Carmilla had watched the whole thing with wide eyes. She had never witnessed anything like that in her entire life. She had seen other vampires staked, exposed to silver, burnt, and beheaded, but nothing had ever been as gruesome as that.

“She did it.” Taylor muttered, mostly to himself. He was in shock. He had lost all hope after Laura was ‘lost’ to them. But, after all this time, Laura had still managed to kill the Dean. “Laura did it!” he proclaimed loudly, causing those around him to stare at him with confused wonder. Spartaca jerked towards his voice. “Laura killed the Dean! The Dean is dead because Laura poisoned her!”

A shocked silence followed his words before a ripple of cheer began to make its way through the students. Another cheer for Laura went up from the students, and the gladiators who had joined them joined in as well.

Carmilla couldn’t believe it. Laura had done the impossible. She had killed the Dean. She had said, all that time ago, that she thought that poisoning Mammon’s blood had been the best option, and she had been right. After everything that she had endured, she had managed to fulfil the one task that no one before her had ever managed.

From beside the brunette, Mattie appeared. She was in as much shock as her sister. She had known Lilita for much longer than Carmilla and had thought that the woman could never be harmed, let alone killed. But she had watched the awful scene of her mother desperately trying to tear her own clotting blood from her veins.

Danny was the first to gather her wits from what she had just seen. “We need to get to Laura. I don’t think she remembers us.” The redhead rounded on Mattie. “What did that witch do?”

Mattie looked uneasily at Spartaca. “I wasn’t even aware that mother had done anything. This must have been her plan all along. She knew that Laura stood no chance against Carmilla. She must have wanted Laura to become, well… the next her.” Her next words seemed to displease her. “I don’t know what she is capable of. Be careful. In fact, it might be best if you just left her to Carm and I.”

“And what are we supposed to do?” LaF exclaimed angrily. “Sit around and braid each other’s hair?”

Mattie raised an eyebrow at the length of the ginger scientist’s hair. “Not much for you to braid.” She sneered. “And if you cared to use your eyes once in a while, you would see that you would have your hands full.” She motioned to the remaining gladiators who were reforming before the Dean’s building.

But what worried them was not the remaining fighters, but Spartaca, coming to a stop before them, gladii raised and ready to fight. Ready to avenge the death of her mistress.

She had no recollection that she was the one who had caused it.

Carmilla, throwing caution to the wind, stepped forward. “Laura?” she asked softly, aware that the other girl would be able to hear her. “Laura please.” Spartaca cocked her head, as if confused by the approaching brunette. But Carmilla didn’t falter. She _couldn’t_ falter. She _had_ to get through to Laura. She had to try and make her remember.

Wary of the still-raised swords, Carmilla stopped a little while away from the black-clad warrior. “Do you remember what it was like to waltz? Do you remember when we would go up on the roof and stargaze?” the tips of the gladii dipped and Carmilla took a cautious step forward. When Spartaca didn’t react, the brunette closed the distance between them until she was standing right in front of the other girl. “Do you remember _me_ , Creampuff?”

Carmilla’s hand trembled as she considered bringing it up to reach out to Laura. She must be getting through to her, mustn’t she?

A twitch in Spartaca’s bicep had Carmilla throwing herself backwards, narrowly avoiding a harsh slash of the other girl’s gladii. The brunette stumbled back from the onslaught of attacks, hardly noticing the gladiators raising a cry and charging the students. Laura was attacking her. What had the Dean done to her? _What was she_?

Ducking under a fast flurry of strikes, Carmilla desperately tried to reason with Spartaca.

“Laura please! I don’t want to fight you!”

But it had no effect. Carmilla continued to be pushed back, dodging each slash and stab. She knew that she had to get Spartaca under control, but she didn’t want to hurt the other girl.

Seeing Spartaca spin into a high strike, Carmilla ducked beneath it and grabbed hold of the other girl’s cold skin. With a twist that made her flinch, she managed to force the gladiator to drop one of her gladii.

Fuming, Spartaca spun out of the grip and lashed out with her foot, connecting it hard with Carmilla’s chest, and sending the brunette sprawling. The brunette could only watch, fairly dazed, as the champion advanced upon her with her remaining gladius raised, ready to strike down, straight through Carmilla’s heart.

A dark arm wrapped around Spartaca’s neck as Mattie dragged her away from Carmilla, trying to force the fighter to drop her remaining weapon with her other arm. Scrambling to stand, Carmilla rushed to help her sister, grappling with Spartaca’s strong grip upon the gladius. Finally she managed to pry the fingers from the hilt and tossed the sword away.

“Laura! We are trying to help you!” she screamed over the din of the battle. It broke her heart all over again that she had to fight Laura, but she knew that she had to subdue the other girl in order to stop her from hurting anyone else, or herself. Her words, however, only seemed to rile Spartaca up more as she lashed out with her feet, trying to land another kick on Carmilla whilst throwing her head back wildly, trying to make contact with Mattie which would loosen her grip on her.

An explosion to her right caused Carmilla to stagger and she regained her balance just as Spartaca aimed another savage kick at her head.

“I can’t hold her forever Kitty.” Mattie grunted, trying to avoid being head-butted. “I mean, I could, but I _really_ don’t want to.”

A large figure appeared to their left and Taylor grabbed Spartaca’s other side that wasn’t being constricted by Mattie, allowing some of the pressure to be let off the vampire. Evans, too, appeared and grabbed at the flailing legs, pinning them to the ground.

Seeing Spartaca as safe as she was going to be, Carmilla looked around, repulsed at the carnage.

The fighting was over. It had been short but what remained was a scene of a massacre. Students and gladiators lay butchered across the ground. There might have been more students than gladiators, but the gladiators had been trained to kill and Carmilla could see that for every gladiator that had fallen, at least four students had gone down too. The smell of blood and innards hit her like a freight train, making bile rise in her throat. She was a natural killer, but this was too much.

From the midst of the dead, Carmilla made out Danny and Kirsch, supporting one another and covered in blood. The redhead seemed to be favouring her right leg whilst the frat boy was developing a pretty nasty bruise across the left side of his face. Behind them, LaF limped towards them, with Perry flitting around them worriedly.

Turning to the figure who started all this, Carmilla squared her shoulders as she took a step towards Spartaca. The fight seemed to have gone out of the warrior after she had been pinned down by three strong people.

Carmilla could sense the others behind her as she reached out and lifted the black helmet from Spartaca’s head.

And froze, her blood turning to ice.

Cold eyes gleamed up at her gleefully.

“Not who you were expecting?” Domina’s usually impassive voice was rich with amusement.

Carmilla couldn’t speak. She hadn’t questioned Laura being back because she thought – _hoped_ – that the blonde would been given a second chance. She had learnt in her years to not question miracles, as rare as they were, but now she realised that she let her hope cloud her judgement. Her desperation for it to have been Laura had overridden all else. She would have done anything for it to have been Laura.

Domina laughed, a cold, cruel sound that echoed throughout the area. “Oh come now, don’t be like that. You should have seen your face when you realised that your precious little Laura _wasn’t_ coming back.” She shook her head and tutted, as if she were genuinely disappointed. “You should know better than that Mircalla. After all, you were the one who killed her.”

Domina twisted in the increasingly tight grasp until she could see Taylor.

“If only you had more _time_. More time to learn, to love, to _live_.” She turned back to Carmilla. “If you hadn’t been so eager to fight Spartaca, Laura would still be alive and my mistress would be dead. It could have gone so differently. So why didn’t it?”

Carmilla’s stomach twisted uncomfortably. Domina was right. She should have waited. If she had been patient, Mammon would have died and Laura would no longer have been bound to her. Laura would still be alive.

Domina cackled as she watched the reality of her words sink in. “Oh but I will tell you why it had to be this way. Only the creator can decide how it will all end.”

Mattie scoffed. “What on earth are you blabbering on about?”

Domina’s head lolled as she began to laugh maniacally. “You should have heard yourself. _Laura please. I don’t want to hurt you, Laura. Do you remember me, Creampuff? Laura, Laura, Laura_. It’s pathetic. _You’re_ pathetic.” She laughed again.

Mattie squeezed and any further words of Domina’s were cut off in her throat, although her body shook with laughter.

Carmilla looked at the woman before her. She ground her teeth together as she stepped right up to Domina and placed her hands on either side of the woman’s head, causing the laughter to stop.

Carmilla looked deep into the cold, insane eyes before she twisted sharply, wrenching the head completely from the body with a crescendo of pops and cracks before climaxing with the sound of tearing fabric, releasing a mist of red that clung to all it touched. She looked down to the head in her hands and hated how easy it had been to kill her. How _quick_ it had been. Domina’s face was twisted into a sadistic grin and Carmilla unceremoniously dropped the head before turning away.

It was all over. Laura had killed the Dean and she had killed Laura.

She began to walk away.

It was time that she left Silas.

*

As Carmilla began to walk away, Danny made as if to follow her, but she was stopped by a strong grip on her arm.

“Leave her.” Mattie said, her eyes forlornly following her sister’s retreating form. “This is affecting her more than you could ever know.”

“And how do you think that it’s affecting us? We lost Laura too!” Danny growled out.

“But you weren’t the one to actually kill her, were you?” Danny faltered. Mattie had a point, but she was still heartbroken from losing the blonde.

“We might as well have been.” She muttered quietly. Mattie raised an eyebrow for her to continue. “Laura wouldn’t have felt the need to prove herself if I had supported her more. She wouldn’t have stayed in that class…”

Mattie sighed. Mortals only saw things in black and white. “Fine. Blame yourselves if you want, but focusing on ‘what ifs’ will get you nowhere.” She spun on her heel and stalked over to her mother’s body.

Looking around her, Danny wondered how it could have all turned against them so quickly. With a great shuddering sigh, she dropped to her knees as a crushing emptiness swept through her. There was so much that she could have done, and so little that she actually did do.

It was all over now.

They hadn’t won anything.

*

Kirsch had lost so many people and his heart was hardening to the world. He couldn’t afford to lose anyone else. SJ was dead, Laura was dead, Danny was breaking.

He had lost so much.

And for what?

*

LaFontaine had always been the head, and Perry, the heart. They had always balanced each other out. But now, their head was muddled and her heart was broken. They both knew that recovering from this wasn’t an option. This was a scar deep within them both.

It had all been in the name of ‘good’, but looking around them, there was nothing ‘good’ about the situation.

Was it even possible to be good in a bad world?

No. It wasn’t.

***

 

_Silas’ Underground Fight Club: The Truth Behind the Myth and Mystery_

_An undercover report by Laura Hollis_

 

_People are, and always have been, fascinated by fairy tales. Of heroes and villains, gods and monsters, creatures unknown to us. And through this fascination, we are given an unconscious drive. We fight for these characters that we don’t know, yet feel like we do. We are given hope. And what could be more dangerous to a person than hope. In fairy tales, there is an element of glamour to combat: a knight fighting for his princess, a prince regaining his honour. But the truth behind the reality is brutal._

_There is nothing glamourous about fighting for your life. Nothing beautiful about death. But, most worryingly, there is absolutely nothing beyond failure. Not even a spark of consciousness in an eternal darkness._

_Which makes me ask,_

_Is it worth it? Is life really worth fighting for?_

_With the right motivation, it just might be._

_And I hope that my story will show you why…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is it.  
> I am sorry for how this turned out, but I had never intended it to be a happy ending.  
> Thank you to everyone who has commented, clicked kudos, contacted me on tumblr. Your responses gave me the motivation to keep going.   
> If you want to shout at me, as always let me know what you thought in the comments, or come find me on tumblr @warrioroftheice  
> Thanks.


	23. Epilogue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_Ma Usella Mituti Ikkalu Baltuti_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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